Trump frustrated by Gaza war, wants Netanyahu to "wrap it up": White House officials

President Trump has been frustrated by the ongoing war in Gaza and upset by images of suffering of Palestinian children, and has told his aides to tell Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he wants him to wrap it up, two White House officials tell Axios.Why it matters: U.S. and Israeli officials deny that Trump is prepared to "abandon" Israel, or that he is applying intense pressure on Netanyahu. But they admit there are growing policy differences between a president who wants to end the war and a prime minister who is massively expanding it."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," one White House official said.Driving the news: In the days since Trump's trip to the region, the U.S. has been pressing both Israel and Hamas to accept a new proposal presented by White House envoy Steve Witkoff for a hostage and ceasefire deal. Witkoff has been speaking directly with Netanyahu and his top adviser Ron Dermer, and to Hamas leadership through a backchannel facilitated by Palestinian-American businessman Bishara Bahbah.The negotiations have shown little progress. Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces are proceeding with an operation to displace all 2 million Palestinians in Gaza to a "humanitarian zone" and flatten most of the enclave.The logjam in the talks and the situation on the ground convinced Vice President Vance to scrap plans for a visit to Israel this week. His decision sheds light on how the U.S. feels about the current Israeli policy in Gaza.The other side: An Israeli official told Axios that at the moment, Netanyahu doesn't feel strong pressure from Trump. "If the president wants a hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza he needs to put much more pressure on both sides," the official said. Other leaders are attempting to apply pressure. The leaders of the U.K., France and Canada issued a statement on Monday threatening to take steps against Israel over the war in Gaza."We will not stand by while the Netanyahu Government pursues these egregious actions. If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response" they said.Netanyahu rejected their call and accused "the leaders in London, Ottawa and Paris" of "offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on October 7 while inviting more such atrocities."The latest: The British government announced on Monday that it is suspending free trade deal negotiations with Israel, imposed new sanctions on Israeli settlers involved in attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank and summoned the Israeli ambassador to the Foreign Office in London.State of play: One area where Trump has put pressure on Netanyahu over the last two weeks is Israel's total freeze on humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza. A White House official told Axios the president was upset by pictures of suffering children and babies in Gaza and pressed the Israelis to reopen the gates. On Sunday, the Israeli cabinet approved the resumption of aid deliveries to Gaza and on Monday a dozen trucks with baby food and other supplies entered the enclave. The White House official said more needs to be done. The UN has warned that thousands of children are at risk of starvation if aid does not significantly increase. More than 55,000 Palestinians have been killed during the war, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.Behind the scenes: While Trump felt his Middle East trip was a success, he believes the war in Gaza is holding back his plans for the region, a senior White House official said."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," the White House official said. The second White House official described the war as a distraction from other things Trump wants to do. "There is a lot of frustration by this crisis getting dragged on."The official said Trump's decision to move unilaterally to secure the release of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander, rather than waiting for Israel to agree to a broader dael, was a result of this frustration. What they are saying: "The President may be saying, 'Hey, listen, let's try to end the war,' he might speak strongly… But his support is ironclad," Trump hostage response envoy Adan Boehler told Fox News on Monday. He stressed that a Washington Post report claiming the administration threatened to "abandon" Israel was "fake."White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday that Trump had "made it very clear to Hamas that he wanted to see all hostages released" and "made it very clear he wants to see this conflict in the region end."

Comments

World news

Full list of UK sanctions against Israel over Gaza

Independent

Comments

Similar News

Trump tells House GOP not to "f**k around" with Medicaid

Mike Johnson's headaches persist despite Trump's assist

Trump administration to allow work to continue on $5bn New York wind farm

Trump is trying to use the Pope to hide his failed peace deal

King Charles to send powerful message to Donald Trump with historic visit to Canada

Ukrainians Brace for a Lonelier Fight as Trump Backs Off Cease-Fire Call

Majority of US companies say they have to raise prices due to Trump tariffs

Vatican peace talks and a threatened ‘red line’ - what comes after the Trump-Putin phone call?

In Trump Call, Putin Notches a Diplomatic Win, With an Economic Caveat

UK and Europe target Russia with major sanctions after Putin-Trump call

Trump boasts about passing medical test while responding to Biden’s cancer diagnosis: Live updates

Trump alleges 'genocide' in South Africa. At an agricultural fair, even Afrikaner farmers scoff

Why Democrats shouldn’t get too excited about Trump’s lousy polls

Heartless Donald Trump's baffling demand after Joe Biden's cancer diagnosis

Trump’s embrace of Putin after call leaves Europe and Ukraine behind

Trump proposal to repatriate Ukrainians, Haitians would use foreign aid funds

In Trump Call, Putin Notches a Diplomatic Win, With an Economic Caveat

Qatar defends offer of plane gift to Trump as ‘a normal thing between allies’ – US politics live

Trump's gushing 'promise' to Putin as Kremlin insider reveals new details of phone call

Giving Trump $400m Boeing jet was his team’s idea not Qatar’s, report claims

World news

Full list of UK sanctions against Israel over Gaza

Kid Cudi set to take the stand and testify against Diddy. Here’s what’s been said at trial so far

Elon Musk’s companies see reputations crumble as backlash from his work with DOGE hits his ventures

Mom arrested after her 6-year-old special needs daughter drowned in lake

Jerry Falwell Jr. to get $15 million payout after Liberty University sex scandal

Donald Trump’s savage swipe at reporter during live broadcast goes viral

Tim Walz calls out RFK Jr. on children’s health: ‘Just so blatantly false’

Diddy brought three handguns to confront Suge Knight at a diner in LA, his former assistant testified

Boyfriend accused of shooting his microbiologist girlfriend dead and leaving a trail of blood to her remains

Iconic Brooklyn Bridge suffered no significant structural damage when Mexican Navy crashed into span killing two

Trump administration deported Asian immigrants to South Sudan in ‘blatant defiance’ of court order, attorneys say

New Orleans used Minority Report-like facial recognition software to monitor citizens for crime suspects: Report

Home Depot claims it won’t raise its prices in response to Trump’s tariffs

Man charged with giving alcohol to Pittsburgh Pirates fan who tumbled 20 feet from the stands to the field

Drug ‘containing ground-up human bones’ at centre of ‘mule’ Charlotte May Lee case

Week of action launched by Montreal housing groups to highlight rental crisis

4 men charged in 2020 homicide at townhouse in Mill Woods

Scherzer, Gimenez among Blue Jays nearing return

Leduc man celebrates 50th work anniversary at car dealership

Family of 3 Ontario siblings killed in suspected impaired driving crash speaks out

Maple Leafs talk pressure of playing in Toronto

Trump’s tariffs creating ‘tensions’ among G7 ahead of summit: Champagne

Brit 'drug mule' Charlotte May Lee strikes up 'surprise friendship' in prison

Teen, 16, falls to death in horror paragliding accident on Lebanon family holiday

China Tries to Revive Economy Amid Tariff Pause

Netanyahu Faces Growing Foreign Pressure to End Gaza Offensive

Marco Rubio defends Trump foreign policy, spars with Senate Democrats

First state bans buying soda with food stamps through USDA waiver in win for MAHA movement

Democrats warn Redstone Paramount talks with Trump over CBS Kamala Harris interview may be bribery

Kids at White House Take Your Child to Work Day quiz Trump on his favorite food and president (besides himself)

Trump questions Biden’s legitimacy as Republicans seek to capitalize on details of his decline in new book

Ms. Rachel makes emotional plea for Gaza’s children as UN warns 14,000 babies could starve under Israeli blockade

Rob Reiner shouted at Doug Emhoff during debate party that Biden would ‘lose our f***ing democracy,’ book claims

COVID vaccines are only approved for elderly and a few others as RFK continues to reshape how Americans fight disease

Jan 6 rioter who smashed glass Ashli Babbitt crawled through is charged with burglary in Virginia

Trump announces ‘Golden Dome for America’ to protect U.S. from ballistic and hypersonic missiles

Trump administration sends 68 immigrants back to Honduras and Colombia on first self-deportation flight

Judge notes 'suspicious' timing of handgun theft after police asked for pictures

Man stabbed in neck by stranger ‘for no reason’ at Spanish airport

Researchers, business leaders gather in Edmonton for AI conference

2 top aides to Mexico City mayor gunned down in brazen attack

RCMP investigate oil leak and power outage near boundary between Alberta and Saskatchewan

Metrolinx partnership to offer ‘faster, more frequent’ train service ends 2 decades early

B.C. government drops contract with special consultant on Downtown Eastside

The Supreme Court stands up for democracy — and for an anti-trans lawmaker

Cassie Ventura’s mom says she paid $20K to Diddy over sex-tape threats

British doctor in Gaza describes horror - and has message for world leaders

George Wendt, beloved barfly on ‘Cheers,’ dead at 76

Google rolling out ‘A.I. Mode’ in next phase of company’s journey to change search

Mitch Marner mum on Maple Leafs future

Rubio Defends Trump’s Foreign Policy—and Himself—on the Hill

'I was convinced to have a penis enlargement - then I almost lost my manhood'

Bayesian superyacht wreck pulled from sea as Mike Lynch's ship brought to surface

Watch as cops seize cat with crack cocaine taped to it after gang tried to smuggle drugs into prison using cute kitty

Rubio warns Syria could be weeks away from 'full-scale civil war'

UN says no aid yet distributed in Gaza as international pressure on Israel mounts

Paul Adams: Starmer and Lammy sound genuinely angry at Israel