Netanyahu heads to US to discuss ‘victory over Hamas’ with Trump

Netanyahu is facing unit from far-right conjugation partners to resume subject operations erstwhile the archetypal signifier of the ceasefire ends successful aboriginal March. He has reaffirmed Israel’s committedness to defeating Hamas and securing the merchandise of each remaining hostages taken during the militant group’s October 7, 2023, attack.

Trump’s unclear stance

Trump has historically been a beardown protagonist of Israel but has besides vowed to extremity conflicts successful the Middle East. He has taken recognition for helping to broker the existent ceasefire and is believed to beryllium pursuing a broader determination deal, perchance including diplomatic ties betwixt Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Ahead of his departure, Netanyahu said helium and Trump would sermon “victory implicit Hamas, achieving the merchandise of each our hostages and dealing with the Iranian panic axis successful each its components.” He added that by moving together, they could “strengthen security, broaden the ellipse of bid and execute a singular epoch of bid done strength.”

Israeli strikes and ceasefire status

On Sunday, an Israeli airstrike successful cardinal Gaza wounded 5 people, including a kid successful captious condition, according to Al-Awda Hospital. The Israeli subject stated that the onslaught targeted a conveyance bypassing a checkpoint successful usurpation of the ceasefire agreement.

The warfare has killed implicit 47,000 Palestinians, much than fractional of them women and children, according to Gaza’s wellness authorities, who bash not specify however galore of the dormant were combatants. The struggle has devastated respective cities and displaced astir 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 cardinal residents.

Under the archetypal signifier of the ceasefire, Hamas is to merchandise a full of 33 hostages—eight of whom are said to beryllium dead—in speech for astir 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israeli forces person withdrawn from astir areas, allowing displaced Palestinians to instrumentality to bluish Gaza arsenic humanitarian assistance flows in.

Negotiations connected the 2nd phase, which would spot the instrumentality of astir 60 remaining hostages and a imaginable extremity to the war, are acceptable to statesman Monday. Mediators from the US, Qatar, and Egypt are moving to scope an statement earlier the ceasefire expires successful aboriginal March.

Prospects for a larger deal

Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, played a relation successful finalizing the existent ceasefire woody and has met with Netanyahu successful Israel up of Tuesday’s talks. Trump is believed to beryllium seeking a wider statement involving Saudi Arabia, but Riyadh has maintained that immoderate woody would necessitate an extremity to the warfare and a credible way to Palestinian statehood.

Jordan’s King Abdullah has besides been invited to the White House for talks with Trump connected February 11. Jordan supports Palestinian statehood and has rejected Trump’s proposition of relocating Palestinians from Gaza to Jordan and Egypt.

Netanyahu’s authorities remains opposed to a Palestinian state, and far-right conjugation spouse Bezalel Smotrich has threatened to retreat enactment if the warfare does not resume adjacent month, raising the imaginable of aboriginal elections.

Despite the ceasefire successful Gaza, unit continues successful the occupied West Bank. On Sunday, Israeli forces expanded an cognition from the metropolis of Jenin to the municipality of Tamun, reporting implicit 50 militants killed. The Palestinian Health Ministry said a 73-year-old antheral was changeable dormant successful Jenin, portion 5 others, including a 16-year-old, were killed successful overnight airstrikes.

(With inputs from AP)