Netanyahu-Trump Meeting Set After Israel Agrees to International Force in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump are scheduled to meet tomorrow at 18:00 in a closed-door session without media coverage. The meeting was confirmed after weeks of attempts to coordinate it, with the White House initially reluctant to agree to the encounter.

According to Israeli sources, the U.S. made it clear to Netanyahu that he must present tangible progress on one of Israel's conflict fronts to justify the meeting. The message conveyed was explicit: "If you think of coming empty-handed, you will not come." After consultations with U.S. Ambassador Tom Nides and Trump advisors, Netanyahu decided to demonstrate progress regarding the Gaza Strip.

Consequently, the Israeli cabinet approved the deployment of an international stabilization force to Gaza, despite Hamas not yet fulfilling its commitment to disarm. An Israeli official familiar with the discussions described this move as a "gesture to Trump that essentially represents a retreat from a previously established principle," which required Hamas's disarmament as a precondition for any agreement.

The upcoming meeting is expected to focus on the Iranian issue. The decision to allow an international force in Gaza marks a significant policy shift and was seen by some Israeli officials as a concession to secure the Trump meeting.