Trump and Netanyahu bet on Hamas disarmament to unlock the second phase of the peace plan

Miami- U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began a meeting this Monday in Florida marked by praise and by the bet on the disarmament of Hamas as a way to unblock the second phase of the peace plan and ceasefire in Gaza, amid persistent security tensions in the region. “But there has to be a disarmament; you know, we have to disarm Hamas,” Trump said in a brief joint press conference in which he praised Netanyahu's “phenomenal work.” "So one of the things we will certainly be talking about is that there has to be a disarmament of Hamas," Trump emphasized. It is expected that at the meeting, at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, both will analyze the main obstacles that keep this second stage paralyzed, still not started due to key disagreements, including the disarmament of the Islamist group, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the definition of an interim governance model for the Palestinian enclave after the conflict.

Armed wing of Hamas refuses to lay down arms

However, this Monday, Hamas' armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, affirmed that the Palestinian people "will not give up arms as long as the Israeli occupation persists" and reaffirmed their "inherent right" to respond to Israel's "crimes," which it accused of having violated the ceasefire, underlining the deep differences that remain. "As quickly as we can," Trump said about questions regarding the timeframe for advancing the process of this second phase of the truce agreement, which includes the disarmament of Hamas, while Israel would maintain control of more than half of the Gaza Strip. The first phase of the ceasefire plan was only partially implemented, including a cessation of hostilities and the release of most of the hostages, but its application was marked by multiple violations reported by both sides. The U.S. president also expressed pride in the release of almost all the hostages from the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, noting that only one remains. "Practically all the hostages who have been released were thanks to me" and to his entire team, he indicated.

«Prime Minister in Wartime»

On the other hand, the Republican stated this Monday that he sees Netanyahu as "a wartime prime minister" when asked by the press about a possible pardon in the corruption trial he faces in Israel, a case for which the Israeli leader has not taken responsibility.

«He has done a phenomenal job, he has led Israel in a very dangerous period, of trauma,» Trump expressed. Last November, Netanyahu's lawyer asked the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, for his pardon in the trial in which he faces three charges of corruption, fraud, breach of trust and bribery. For his part, Herzog denied this Monday in a statement having had a conversation with Trump about the pardon.
"There has been no conversation between President Herzog and President Trump since the pardon request was submitted," the statement from Herzog reads.

Support for Israeli Attack on Iran

The meeting between Netanyahu and Trump also seeks to redefine the regional strategy, not only in relation to Gaza, but also in the face of perceived threats from Iran. Regarding Iran, the president pointed out that he is not going to overthrow any regime and that it is in the interest of this Islamic nation to make a deal. "I am not going to talk about overthrowing a regime. They have many internal problems. They have tremendous inflation, their economy is ruined. The economy does not work," he emphasized in response to a question from the press.

"You know, they could have made a deal last time before we went through, you know, a big attack against them," he expressed. Furthermore, he showed himself "absolutely" in favor of supporting an Israeli attack on Iran: "If Iran does not reach an agreement, if Iran continues with its ballistic missiles and also with nuclear weapons. If they continue with the missiles, yes."

Netanyahu's meeting with War State Secretaries before meeting with Trump

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met separately this Monday with US Secretaries of State, Marco Rubio, and of War, Pete Hegseth, before his meeting with President Donald Trump, to discuss the progress of the peace plan in Gaza promoted by the Republican. "I met with Netanyahu to discuss regional security, energy cooperation, and our shared commitment to fighting antisemitism," Rubio said in a social media post. The U.S. chief diplomat also emphasized the importance of "continued mutual collaboration to promote peace and stability in the Middle East, in line with the vision of President Trump's 20-point peace plan," the State Department added in a statement. Israeli Prime Minister himself confirmed his "good" meeting with Rubio with a post on X, along with two photographs in which both shake hands in a cordial gesture. In another post, Netanyahu published other images in which he can be seen smiling alongside Hegseth, without adding more details about the meeting. Both secretaries are part of the US delegation at the meeting between Trump and Netanyahu at the Republican's private residence in Mar-a-Lago (Florida).