Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Meet Trump in US Amid Apprehensions of Israeli Regional Offensives

Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Donald Trump at the presidential resort in Florida on Monday evening. This occurs as anxieties grow that Israel could launch new offensives against neighboring adversaries, risking sending the Middle East further into turmoil.

The prime minister flew from Israel on Sunday, marking his fifth visit to see Trump in the United States over the past twelve months.

Halt in Fighting in Gaza and Looming Hurdles

A key discussion point will be the truce in Gaza, which in October halted the lengthy two-year war. While the terms for an opening period have been largely completed, with Israeli forces pulling back to new positions and Hamas releasing the surviving and nearly all of the deceased hostages, immense challenges lie ahead for the execution of the second phase of the US-brokered 20-point plan.

There are further concerns that Israel will initiate new military campaigns against Hezbollah in Lebanon, shattering a ceasefire established more than a year ago, or against Iran, which it claims of ramping up the production of ballistic missiles in recent months.

“The initial stage is essentially over, there’s one remaining Israeli deceased hostage which [Hamas] are having difficulty finding,” said a peace-building expert.

Both sides trade accusations of violating the agreement. Hamas has not managed to formally commit to laying down its weapons and has had significant success in re-establishing its rule in the parts of Gaza where nearly the entire population is situated. Israel seems unwilling to withdraw from the 53% of Gaza it now controls or to allow the unrestricted delivery of aid into the territory.

“The second phase has to begin … and I think the Americans realise that it’s late because Hamas has had too much time to reorganize and this is certainly not a situation that the Americans want to leave in place,” the expert remarked.

Humanitarian Impact and Current Conditions

More than 70,000 Palestinians, largely civilians, were killed in Gaza during the war and almost all the territory’s 2.3 million population was forced from their homes. Approximately 400 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the October ceasefire, and huge numbers continue to live in conditions of extreme difficulty.

In the last month, torrential rains and freezing conditions have worsened the suffering in Gaza, where most housing and infrastructure have been heavily damaged or destroyed.

The war was sparked by a sudden assault by Hamas in southern Israel in 2023, in which 1,200 people, predominantly civilians, were killed and 250 others captured.

Subsequent Phases and Diplomatic Frustrations

Under the subsequent phases of the US proposal, an provisional government made up of nonaligned Palestinian technocrats is to administer the Palestinian territory instead of Hamas. An international stabilisation force of thousands of troops is to be stationed.

US officials have indicated the membership of the new authority could be made public in January.

Reports indicate that senior US officials are increasingly exasperated “as Netanyahu has taken steps to weaken the fragile ceasefire and stall the peace process”.

“There are growing evidence that the American administration is getting frustrated with Netanyahu,” observed a foreign policy specialist. “The question is what it’s going to do about it, because phase 2 is right now going stalled.”

The Prime Minister's Key Objectives

For Netanyahu, a priority will be persuading Trump to allow Israel to act to prevent Iran from fixing the destruction inflicted on its nuclear programme or building its ballistic missile capabilities.

Meanwhile, efforts to secure a stability deal between Israel and Syria have stalled and will also be a topic at Mar-a-Lago. Israeli officials have also called for more effective efforts to disarm Hezbollah.

Netanyahu is confronted with an election within 10 months, and the looming polls will influence his agenda. “Everything is connected to [his] political survival,” an analyst said.

Surveys indicate Netanyahu’s current coalition would face difficulties to form a government if elections were held now. Many voters are displeased over the shortcomings that led to the 2023 Hamas raid, policies concerning military service exemptions, and a number of scandals.

A tight alliance with Trump would bolster Netanyahu’s appeal among floating voters and his base. This suggests any open rift between the two leaders is very doubtful, analysts said.

Netanyahu is expected to seek to persuade Trump of the need for Israel to maintain a defence advantage over potential regional enemies. Many Israeli officials were concerned by previous US comments regarding advanced weapons sales to other regional states.