Trump Meets Netanyahu: "Second Phase of Gaza Ceasefire to Be Expedited"

"Gaza reconstruction to begin very soon"
On Iran's nuclear program: "Immediate attack, we will bring them down"

U.S. President Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss ways to implement the Gaza peace initiative.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and U.S. President Donald Trump. Photo by AP Yonhap News

On the 29th (local time), President Trump held talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu at his residence, the Mar-a-Lago Resort in Palm Beach, Florida. The U.S. delegation included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense (War Department) Pete Hegseth, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, President Trump's eldest son-in-law.

Earlier, President Trump welcomed Prime Minister Netanyahu at the entrance of the resort and stated, "We will push for the second phase of the Gaza war ceasefire agreement (Gaza peace initiative) as quickly as possible," adding, "The (Palestinian militant group) Hamas must be disarmed." The second phase of the ceasefire agreement includes the disarmament of Hamas, withdrawal of Israeli forces, establishment of a new Palestinian government led by technocrats, formation of an International Stabilization Force (ISF) to oversee Gaza's security and public order, and the commencement of Gaza's reconstruction.

President Trump said, "We have already made significant progress," and regarding the start of Gaza's reconstruction, he added, "It will begin very soon."

The Gaza war, now in its third year, saw a ceasefire come into effect after both Israel and Hamas, the main parties to the conflict, agreed to President Trump's ceasefire and peace initiative last October, with most countries in the Middle East supporting the move. However, despite the ceasefire, frequent armed clashes between the two sides continue, and delays in implementing the agreement have raised concerns about the possibility of the war resuming.

Regarding Iran, President Trump warned, "I have heard that Iran is trying to rebuild its missile program. If they do so, we will bring them down," and proposed that Iran come to the negotiating table. He also stated that if Iran resumes its nuclear weapons program, the United States and Israel would "launch an immediate attack."

As for his request to Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Prime Minister Netanyahu, who is on trial in Israel on corruption charges, President Trump said, "He is a wartime prime minister and a hero. How could I not ask?" He added, "I spoke with the (Israeli) president, and he said the matter is in progress."