Trump and Netanyahu Meet in Florida as Gaza Ceasefire Talks Face Crucial Test
PALM BEACH, Fla. — U.S. President Donald Trump is hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago resort this week in a high-stakes diplomatic effort to advance the next phase of the U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire plan and address growing regional tensions involving Iran and Hamas, officials and analysts say. The meeting comes as the first phase of the fragile truce shows signs of slowing and key disagreements remain unresolved.
Trump and Netanyahu are expected to focus much of their discussions on moving forward with the second phase of a ceasefire agreement that began in October 2025, after years of conflict between Israel and Hamas. While the initial stage of the U.S.-backed plan saw most hostages released and partial Israeli withdrawals from Gaza, progress toward full implementation of the peace blueprint has stalled amid mutual accusations of violations and delays on issues like Hamas disarmament and Gaza governance.
Under the agreed U.N.-supported “20-point plan,” the second phase would include disarming Hamas, withdrawing Israeli forces from Gaza, and establishing a technocratic Palestinian administration under international oversight, including an international stabilization force. The plan also envisages broader normalization with Arab states — a diplomatic goal that Trump and his aides have championed.
Israeli officials, however, are reported to have reservations about several elements of the peace framework, particularly those that involve withdrawing troops too quickly or diluting Israel’s security controls in sensitive border areas. Netanyahu is also expected to press Trump on concerns about Iran’s influence and missile capabilities, with some reports suggesting he will push for coordinated pressure on Tehran as part of broader regional security discussions.
In addition to bilateral talks, high-level envoys from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey have been involved in shuttling diplomacy across the Middle East, aiming to keep ceasefire momentum alive even as disagreements persist. U.S. mediators, including global envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, recently hosted discussions in Miami with senior representatives from those countries and the Palestinian side.
The timing of the Florida meeting — coming just days after President Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Mar-a-Lago for separate peace negotiations — underscores the administration’s dual diplomatic push in 2025’s final week on two of the world’s most pressing conflict fronts. For both Gaza and broader Middle East stability, the outcomes of the Trump-Netanyahu talks could shape diplomatic strategy and peace efforts well into 2026.
