Donald Trump reportedly clashed with the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, during a recent phone call about the latest efforts to secure a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.
As per several American and Israeli officials, Trump shared that his Israeli counterpart was being too negative regarding the prospects of a peace deal in Gaza that he had worked long and hard to broker. The news comes after Hamas delivered an ambiguous reply to a new 20-point American proposal.
The phone chat that took place on Friday centered on Hamas’ conditional effort to release the remaining hostages held in Gaza.
While the group’s political representatives in Qatar suggested that they were prepared to move forward under certain terms, they stopped short of committing to disarmament, which is a key element of Washington’s plan. Sources familiar with the matter described the whole matter as a tense but very constructive discussion between both leaders.
Netanyahu reportedly explained to Trump that Hamas’ reply amounted to a rejection and insisted that there was nothing to celebrate. Meanwhile, Trump was seen pushing back and urging leaders in Israel to view the situation as a step forward and encourage more progress that would be in everyone’s favor.