Trump reportedly pressuring Netanyahu to decisively defeat Hamas in a matter of weeks

Ahead of today’s security cabinet meeting to discuss plans for the Gaza war, unnamed sources tell Channel 12 that US President Donald Trump is increasing pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to defeat Hamas, after losing faith in the efficacy of ceasefire and hostage release talks.

Sources involved in the matter tell the Hebrew network that, following the January hostage-ceasefire deal and the May release of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander, Trump has pushed Netanyahu to move more rapidly toward the defeat of Hamas.

Trump’s stance is reportedly a main reason that Netanyahu is pushing for either the full military conquest of Gaza or a comprehensive deal strictly on Israel’s terms, despite security officials speaking out against such plans.

Channel 12 adds that Trump appears convinced that Hamas can be decisively beaten, “perhaps even within two weeks,” and that the US president feels he has already fulfilled the mission of bringing home most of the hostages, especially after Alexander’s release. Despite public rhetoric in support of returning the hostages, Trump is privately making clear that, in his view, Hamas will never return all the hostages, but rather keep a certain number as a means of survival.

The network says that in July, after Hamas returned to hostage talks and Qatari mediators reported optimism, Trump publicly echoed that optimism, in support of the efforts of his envoy Steve Witkoff and Netanyahu to pursue a renewed deal. But when Hamas toughened its position later on in those talks, amid international outcry over dire reports of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Trump “lost patience” with the terror group, partly because he had publicly given weight to Qatari optimism that proved mistaken.

Around the same time, Netanyahu also “fell into line,” declaring that the opportunity for a deal had passed, and ordered the Israeli delegation home from Doha, the report continues. According to one source, even when Hamas returned two weeks ago with an approved proposal, Witkoff refused to engage, no longer trusting the Qataris and not wanting to risk embarrassing Trump.