US official signals Trump, Netanyahu will present united front on transition to truce’s next phase

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will discuss in their meeting today the transition to phase two of the hostage deal, a senior US official says, adding that listeners should expect “some unity in how they and we intend to pursue that.”

Netanyahu has been seeking a public assurance from Trump that the US will back Israel resuming the war if Hamas violates the terms of the ceasefire or doesn’t hold negotiations regarding the terms of the second phase in good faith, a senior Israeli official has told The Times of Israel. Those indirect talks have begun this week.

A second senior administration notes that both US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have made clear publicly that Hamas cannot be allowed to govern Gaza — a stance that may well complicate the phase two negotiations, given that Hamas is currently the only group governing the Strip, even though its military infrastructure has been largely dismantled by Israel.

The senior Trump official notes that not only are Israel and the US in agreement on the need to remove Hamas from power, but so are many of their Arab allies in the region.

The position will require Hamas to voluntarily cede power — something that some of its officials have indicated the terror group might be willing to do. What Hamas has shown less willingness to relinquish is its weapons, ostensibly hoping to mimic what Hezbollah has been able to do in Lebanon where it wasn’t formally running the government but de facto ran much of the country due to its military superiority over the army.