From Gaza to the West Bank: Netanyahu urges Trump to back Israel’s next moves

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian
 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not wait for his speech at the United Nations General Assembly or his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House to speak on two key issues.

These issues are ending the war in Gaza and asserting Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank in response to the Palestinian state declaration.

Before boarding the Wing of Zion state plane, which followed an unusual route to avoid the airspace of dozens of European countries, fearing his possible arrest, Netanyahu said he had enough arguments to convince Trump of the need to continue fighting on multiple fronts.

Meanwhile, calls from Israelis to halt the Gaza war as a step to secure the return of hostages have quieted, amid cautious optimism that Washington could persuade Israel to accept Trump’s proposal — even if, like previous initiatives, it includes a timeline that could ultimately fail.

On the ground, Gaza remained under fire. Israeli chief of staff Eyal Zamir, stationed among military units in the area, urged Gazans to rebel against Hamas while reassuring Israeli civilians and soldiers that upcoming battles would pave the way for reclaiming territory and eliminating the group, along with any security threats to Israel.