Trump reportedly ‘frustrated’ by Gaza war, sees it as last ‘hot spot’ preventing prosperity in region

US President Donald Trump is “frustrated” by the ongoing war in Gaza and feels it is the last issue preventing prosperity in the Middle East, the Axios news site reports, citing White House officials.

One of the officials says Trump pressured Israel to open crossings for humanitarian aid after assistance had been blocked since March, having been upset by images of suffering children and babies in the Strip.

“The president is frustrated about what is happening in Gaza. He wants the war to end, he wants the hostages to come home, he wants aid to go in and he wants to start rebuilding Gaza,” a White House official says. “The president sees a real chance for peace and prosperity in the region, but the war in Gaza is the last hot spot and he wants it to end.”

A second official says, “There is a lot of frustration by this crisis getting dragged on,” adding that the backchannel deal to release US-Israeli hostage soldier Edan Alexander last week developed from that feeling.

An Israeli official tells the site that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn’t feel pressured on the matter by Trump.

“If the president wants a hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza he needs to put much more pressure on both sides,” the official says.

The White House stressed Monday that Trump wants the war in Gaza to end, as American officials denied reports that Washington was threatening to “abandon” Israel if it didn’t follow suit.