US President Donald Trump believes that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is prolonging Israel’s war in Gaza to hold on to political power, according to two Trump administration officials who spoke to The Atlantic.

The Thursday report claimed, based on several unnamed sources, that Trump and many of his aides are more eager than ever to bring the fighting in Gaza to a close amid widespread condemnation of Israel’s wartime conduct, including from a growing faction of isolationists in the Republican Party.

With negotiations for a hostage and ceasefire deal once again facing steep hurdles, the American president has reportedly become convinced that Israel has already achieved its military objectives in Gaza long ago, and that the current fighting is fuelled chiefly by the premier’s political interests.

WITKOFF MEETS NETANYAHU

The report was published as Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff met with Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Thursday afternoon to discuss the stalled negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Steve Witkoff will also travel to Gaza on Friday, to assess the growing humanitarian crisis. He will be joined by Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “The special envoy and the ambassador will brief the president to approve the final plan for food and aid distribution into the region.” She added that the trip aims to study current food delivery systems and find ways to improve them.

Israel has been at war with Hamas since October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack.

The Trump administration has been trying to find a solution. However, talks for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas fell apart last week. US officials blamed Hamas for not taking the talks seriously.

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With inputs from Reuters

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