US President Donald Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for pivotal talks on Monday to press him to back a Gaza peace proposal aimed at ending a nearly two-year war that has seen Israel face growing international isolation.
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In Netanyahu’s fourth visit since Trump returned to office in January, the right-wing Israeli leader was looking to shore up his country’s most important relationship after a slew of Western leaders formally embraced Palestinian statehood last week in defiance of the US and Israel.
Trump, who had sharply criticised the recognition moves as a prize to Hamas, was seeking Netanyahu’s agreement on a framework to end the war in the Palestinian territory and free the remaining hostages held by the militants.
It marked a stepped-up diplomatic effort by a president who vowed during the 2024 presidential campaign to quickly bring the conflict to a close and has since repeatedly claimed that a deal was near, only for it to fail to materialise.
Washington presented a 21-point peace plan to Arab and Muslim states on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly last week and Trump’s main objective on Monday was to try to close the remaining gaps with Netanyahu.
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The White House talks came as Israeli tanks on Monday thrust deeper into the heart of Gaza City, where Israel has launched one of its biggest offensives of the war this month with Netanyahu saying he aims to wipe out Hamas in its final redoubts.