Trump and Netanyahu to meet in Florida : NPR

PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump plans to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday as Washington looks to build new momentum for a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in the Gaza Strip that could be in danger of stalling before a difficult second phase.

Trump could use the face-to-face meeting at his Mar-a-Lago estate to try to leverage his strong relationship with Netanyahu and look for ways to speed up the peace process, especially as the Israeli leader has been accused of not pushing his side to act quickly enough.

The truce between Israel and Hamas championed by Trump is largely holding, but progress has slowed recently. Both sides blame each other for violations, and disagreements have emerged between the United States, Israel and Arab countries over the path forward.

The first phase of the truce began in October, days after the two-year anniversary of Hamas's first attack on Israel, which killed about 1,200 people. All but one of the 251 hostages taken then were released, dead or alive.

Now comes the next, much more difficult part. Trump's 20-point plan, approved by the UN Security Council, sets out an ambitious vision of ending Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip.

The two leaders could also discuss topics unrelated to the Gaza Strip, including Iran, whose nuclear capabilities Trump continues to insist were “totally and completely destroyed” after U.S. strikes on its nuclear facilities in June.

There are many key aspects of the second phase of the ceasefire that the Israeli leader does not support or even openly opposes, said Mona Yacoubian, director and senior adviser for the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“I think it will be very difficult for President Trump to get Netanyahu to agree,” she said.

“I think it will be important to watch how he does it, how much pressure he puts on Netanyahu,” said Yacoubian, who also said the two could demonstrate a “broader clash of approaches to the region.”

The next stage is difficult

If successful, the second phase would mean the restoration of a demilitarized Gaza under the international supervision of a group chaired by Trump known as the Peace Council. The Palestinians will form a “technocratic, apolitical” committee to manage day-to-day affairs in the Gaza Strip under the supervision of the Peace Council.

He also calls for normalization of relations between Israel and the Arab world and a possible path to Palestinian independence. There are also pressing logistical and humanitarian issues, including rebuilding war-torn Gaza, disarming Hamas and creating a security apparatus called the International Stabilization Force.

The Peace Council will oversee Gaza's reconstruction under a two-year renewable UN mandate. Its members were expected to be named by the end of the year and perhaps even announced after Monday's meeting, but the announcement could be pushed back to next month.

Netanyahu was the first foreign leader to meet Trump at the White House during his second term, but this will be their first face-to-face meeting since Trump traveled to Israel in October to mark the start of the initial phase of the ceasefire. Netanyahu has been to Mar-a-Lago before, including in July 2024, when Trump was still seeking re-election.

Much remains unresolved

Their latest meeting comes after US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner recently met in Florida with officials from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey who were brokering a ceasefire.

Two major issues have complicated the move to phase two, according to an official briefed on the meetings. Israeli officials have spent considerable time vetting and approving members of the Palestinian Technocratic Committee from a list provided to them by mediators, while Israel continues its military strikes.

Trump's plan also calls for the creation of an International Stabilization Force, proposed as a multinational body, to maintain security. But it is not yet formed. It is unclear whether details will be known after Monday's meeting.

A Western diplomat said there was a “huge gulf” between the US-Israeli understanding of the International Stabilization Force's mandate and that of other major countries in the region, as well as European governments.

All spoke on condition of anonymity and provided details that have not been made public.

The US and Israel want the forces to play a “commanding role” in providing security, including disarmament of Hamas and other militant groups. But countries asked to contribute troops fear the mandate would turn them into an “occupying force,” the diplomat said.

Hamas has said it is willing to discuss “freezing or storing” its weapons arsenal but insists it has the right to armed resistance while Israel occupies Palestinian territory. One US official said a potential plan could be to offer cash incentives in exchange for weapons, echoing the “buyback” program previously proposed by Witkoff.

Questions about Gaza reconstruction

Israeli bombing and ground operations have reduced neighborhoods in several Gaza towns to rubble-strewn wastelands, with blackened shells of buildings and mounds of rubble stretching in all directions.

Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye are pushing for an agreement to disarm Hamas and further withdraw Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip before moving on to the next elements of the plan. These include the deployment of international security forces and reconstruction efforts, three Arab officials told The Associated Press.

This appears to contradict ideas floated by US officials to quickly begin construction of temporary housing for Palestinians in parts of the southern Gaza Strip still controlled by Israeli troops. Three officials said the United Arab Emirates had agreed to fund Gaza's reconstruction, including new settlements, although they said discussions were ongoing and plans remained unresolved.

The proposed map, created by the US and obtained by the AP, shows an area labeled “UAE Provisional Emirates Housing Complex” inside the Israeli-controlled Gaza area. The map shows the “US-planned public area” surrounding the UAE.

The Arab official said he was aware of the map but said it was a US-Israeli proposal that was passed on to the Emirates and other countries.

The UAE did not respond to multiple requests for comment on whether it agrees with the plans or funding for communities. It is unknown whether the money will depend on gestures from Israel and Hamas, such as a commitment to Palestinian statehood or disarmament.