Israel Netanyahu wants to talk to Trump about "victory over Hamas"
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to talk about "crucial issues" for Israel and the Middle East region during his meeting with US President Donald Trump. These include "a victory over Hamas, the release of all our hostages and the confrontation with the Iranian terror axis and all its components", Netanyahu said before his departure to the USA.
02.02.2025, 09:22
SDA
The Iranian axis threatens Israel, the Middle East and the entire world, said the head of government. In addition to Hamas in Gaza, Iran's allies include Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has also been militarily weakened by Israel, and the Houthi militia in Yemen.
Netanyahu once again emphasized that Trump would be the first head of government to receive him from abroad. This was proof "of the strength of the Israeli-American alliance" as well as "the strength of our personal friendship".
Trump is known as a close ally of Netanyahu, who has come under heavy international criticism for Israel's conduct of the war in Gaza.
This friendship and cooperation with Trump had already led to reconciliation agreements with other Arab states, Netanyahu said. "The decisions we have made in this war have already changed the face of the Middle East," said the Israeli head of government. In close cooperation with Trump, "we can design it even further and better".
He believes "that we can strengthen security, expand the circle of peace and achieve a remarkable era of peace through strength", Trump said. According to media reports, Trump and Netanyahu are seeking a normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia.
Israel and Hamas agreed on a six-week ceasefire last month. Netanyahu's statements about a victory over Hamas are fueling concerns that a second phase of the agreement might not even be implemented. Right-wing coalition partners are pushing for a resumption of the war.
Several influential Arab states have rejected Trump's proposal to resettle Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. Trump had previously brought Egypt and Jordan into the discussion. He had recently said that this could be temporary or long-term. He argued that the Gaza Strip is literally a wasteland, almost everything is being demolished and people are dying there. His US special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, described the Gaza Strip as "uninhabitable" due to the war damage.
