President Trump scolded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for dismissing progress on Gaza peace talks, urging him to view Hamas’ partial acceptance as a breakthrough.
President Trump clashed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday after Hamas responded to his Gaza peace proposal with a conditional “yes.” According to Axios, Trump phoned Netanyahu to celebrate what he viewed as progress, but the Israeli leader disagreed. “Bibi told Trump this is nothing to celebrate, and that it doesn’t mean anything,” a U.S. official said. Trump reportedly fired back: “I don’t know why you’re always so f***ing negative. This is a win. Take it.”
A second U.S. official confirmed the tense exchange, describing it as another sign of Trump’s determination to secure a Gaza ceasefire despite Netanyahu’s reservations. Trump later told Axios, “I said, ‘Bibi, this is your chance for victory.’ He was fine with it. He’s got to be fine with it. With me, you got to be fine.”
The talks mark the closest Israel and Hamas have come to ending the two-year conflict that began in October 2023.