Israel at a crossroads as Netanyahu prepares to meet Trump

As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares for his third visit to the White House this year, his host has made his expectations clear. US President Donald Trump, who has spoken often about his desire to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, said on Tuesday: “We’re looking for it to happen next week.”

As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares for his third visit to the White House this year, his host has made his expectations clear. US President Donald Trump, who has spoken often about his desire to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, said on Tuesday: “We’re looking for it to happen next week.” Though the two leaders will celebrate the US and Israeli strikes in Iran, Gaza is very much on their agenda. “We want to get the hostages back,” Trump said. Netanyahu, who is set to meet the US president on Monday, faces a critical decision at the crossroads of two very different conflicts: one precise and short, the other brutal and protracted. The long-time Israeli leader held two high-level meetings on Gaza already this week and is expected to hold another on Thursday, according to an Israeli official. But the government has yet to decide on how to proceed in Gaza, a source familiar with the discussions said. That choice boils down to whether to pursue a ceasefire agreement or to intensify a military bombardment of the enclave that has already killed more than 56,000 Palestinians, as Israel tries to increase pressure on Hamas. Earlier this week, the Israeli military recommended pursuing a diplomatic path in the strip after more than 20 months of fighting and the elimination of much of Hamas’ senior leadership. On Tuesday, a military official told CNN that Israel has not fully achieved all of its war goals, but as Hamas’ forces have shrunk and gone into hiding, it has become more difficult to effectively target what remains of the militant group.