Rifts surface: Netanyahu seeks Trump's backing as disputes emerge over Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads into talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, he is seeking to persuade Washington to endorse Israel's strategy of sustaining military pressure across multiple fronts.

Israeli officials in Tel Aviv acknowledge growing disagreements with Washington on several key files, expressing concern over Trump's ability to impose his own vision, particularly regarding Gaza and Syria. Despite these differences, Netanyahu's top priority remains securing a U.S. green light for a strike against Iran.

Lebanon is also high on the agenda, with the talks taking place days before the end of the first phase of a plan aimed at disarming Hezbollah. 

In this context, leverage and bargaining tools abound. 

Washington is encouraging a diplomatic track with the Lebanese government before Israel considers launching a major military operation against Hezbollah. Keen not to alienate its U.S. ally, Tel Aviv is pursuing a dual approach.

On one track, Israel is pushing for a statement by the Lebanese government expressing a willingness to pursue peace with Israel. On the other hand, it is maintaining a military posture that includes refusing to withdraw from five positions it occupies, keeping Lebanese airspace open to Israeli warplanes, and seeking possible U.S. approval for a large-scale attack on Lebanon.

The Syrian front remains equally complex. Israeli officials have said talks with Damascus have reached a dead end, as Israel tightens its grip on Mount Hermon and the Golan Heights and steps up what it describes as support for the Druze community in Sweida under the banner of protection. 

Netanyahu's approach to Syria is expected to put him at odds with Trump, who is seen as backing Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa.

Adding to the challenges is what Israel views as the Turkish front, which Tel Aviv considers among the most sensitive issues to emerge from the Trump-Netanyahu talks. Israeli officials believe the discussions will draw strategic lines that will define the period before and after the meeting in Florida.

At stake is a significant test for both allies: Israel's drive to maximize its strategic gains, and the United States' effort to close as many fronts as possible opened by the Al-Aqsa Flood war more than two years ago, with no clear end in sight.