President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are meeting at the president's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, Monday, as the Trump administration is intent on moving into the second phase of the Gaza peace plan.
Asked how soon the second phase of the peace plan could begin, Mr. Trump, standing alongside Netanyahu, said "as quickly as we can" but "there has to be a disarmament" of Hamas. "We have to disarm with Hamas, so one of the things we'll talk about, certainly. But there has to be a disarming of Hamas. Otherwise, very quickly."
The president said the two men have about five major topics to discuss on Monday, including Gaza. The first phase of the peace plan called for an immediate ceasefire, as well as the return of all hostages and the provision of humanitarian aid.
But the second phase -- which entails the terrorist group's disarmament, the effective end of Hamas' rule and its replacement by a transitional governance entity -- has remained elusive. Hamas has refused to disarm and has not yet returned all Israeli hostage remains, while Israel has recently conducted some strikes in Gaza. Mr. Trump said the family of a man who is still missing is at Mar-a-Lago Monday.
Mr. Trump also said he will support an Israeli attack on Iran, should Iran continue their ballistic missile and nuclear programs. The U.S. president praised Netanyahu, telling reporters "he's a wartime prime minister who's a hero." And the president said he has spoken with Israeli President Isaac Herzog about a pardon for Netanyahu, who is facing bribery and fraud charges.
"How do you not give a pardon, you know?" Mr. Trump said. "I think it's a very hard thing not to do it. ... He tells me it's on its way."
Herzog's office, however, said in a statement, "There has not been a conversation between President Herzog and President Trump since the pardon request was submitted." The statement also said that Herzog spoke several weeks ago with a representative of Mr. Trump who had "inquired about the U.S. President's letter" and who was told "any decision on the matter will be made in accordance with the established procedures."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Netanyahu ahead of Mr. Trump's meeting. Netanyahu's visit comes a week after U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, met with senior officials from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey to discuss next steps in the peace plan.
The Israel-Hamas ceasefire went into effect in November, more than two years after the war began with the attack by Hamas-led terrorists on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
This is the sixth meeting between Mr. Trump and Netanyahu since the president took office in January.
Netanyahu's visit comes on the heels of Mr. Trump's meeting Sunday at Mar-a-Lago with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as the U.S. president continues to try to to broker a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia. After that meeting, Mr. Trump and Zelenskyy said they're nearly in agreement on a peace plan for Ukraine, and the Ukrainian leader praised what he called "strong security guarantees" from the U.S. But Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom Mr. Trump spoke before and after his meeting with Zelenskyy, hasn't shown a willingness to compromise on his territorial demands. Russia attacked Kyiv shortly before Mr. Trump's meeting with Zelenskyy.
Mr. Trump has been spending the holidays at his Mar-a-Lago estate, mixing in golf with meetings with world leaders. The president will return to the White House after New Year's Day.