US President Donald Trump said Hamas would have only a short window to lay down its arms after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the United States works to strengthen the Gaza ceasefire and move to the next phase of the deal.
Here are the main key takeaways from the meeting:
Focus on Gaza
Trump and Netanyahu also discussed other areas of regional instability, including Syria and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
At a press conference with Netanyahu in Florida, Trump said he hoped Netanyahu could “get along” with Syria’s new president, a former Islamist rebel commander who toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad a year ago, despite a series of Israeli strikes along their border, AFP reported.
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Netanyahu’s trip follows an intense stretch of global diplomacy in Palm Beach, where Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday to discuss efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The Gaza ceasefire, reached in October, is one of the key achievements of Trump’s first year in office, with the United States and regional mediators scrambling to keep the momentum going.
According to Axios, Trump plans to announce the establishment of an interim government agency and a multinational force as early as January.
However, Trump gave few details other than that he hoped “reconstruction” could soon begin in the Palestinian territories, devastated by Israeli strikes in response to the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas.
Disarmament of Hamas remained a major obstacle as the group’s military wing reiterated that it would not give up its weapons.
“Our people are defending themselves and will not give up their weapons as long as the occupation lasts,” the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said in a video message.
Trump warns Iran and Hamas
US President Donald Trump has warned Iran of new strikes and said Hamas will have “hell to pay” if it fails to disarm Gaza, as he presented a united front with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.
Trump has threatened to “eradicate” any attempt by Tehran to renew its nuclear program or ballistic missile arsenal after the US and Israeli strikes earlier this year.
Trump also played down reports of tension with Netanyahu over the second phase of the fragile Gaza ceasefire, saying Israel had “lived up” to its commitments and that the onus was on the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
“If they don’t arm themselves as they agreed, then there will be hell to pay,” Trump told reporters at his lavish Mar-a-Lago resort. “They have to disarm in a fairly short period of time.
The armed wing of Hamas reiterated on Monday that it would not give up its weapons.
A top political adviser to Iran’s supreme leader said on Monday that any aggression against his country would be met with an “immediate harsh response”.
“Iran’s Missile_Capability and defenses are not detainable or permit-based. Any aggression will be met with an immediate #Harsh_Response beyond the imagination of its planners,” wrote Ali Shamkhani on X.
Netanyahu calls meeting with Trump ‘productive’
Netanyahu described his talks with Trump as “highly productive” and said Israel would bestow its highest civilian award on a US president, the first time the honor has been given to a non-Israeli.
Trump, the self-proclaimed “president of peace,” would like to advance to the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire, which would see the installation of a Palestinian technocratic government and the deployment of international stabilization forces.
While some White House officials worry Netanyahu is moving slowly, Trump said he has “very little difference” with the Israeli prime minister and “doesn’t care about anything Israel does.”
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In their fifth meeting in the United States since Trump’s return to office this year, Netanyahu also appeared to focus the US president’s attention on Israel’s concerns about Iran. In recent months, Israeli officials and the media have expressed concern that Iran is rebuilding its ballistic missile capabilities after damage it suffered during the 12-day conflict with Israel in June.
Trump said Iran “may be behaving badly” and is looking at new nuclear storage facilities to replace those targeted by US strikes during the same conflict, as well as renewing its missiles.
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“I hope they don’t try to stockpile again, because if they do, we’re going to have no choice but to eradicate that stockpile very quickly,” Trump said, adding that the U.S. response “could be stronger than the last time.”
But Trump said he believed Iran was still interested in a deal with Washington on its nuclear and missile programs. Tehran denies it is seeking nuclear weapons.
(With input from agencies)
