Netanyahu gambles Trump Gaza plan may win back support abroad

1/10/2025 17:40

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s support for Donald Trump’s Gaza plan is a gamble that may win back estranged allies abroad and repair his political base at home but risks a battle with coalition partners opposed to any hint of a Palestinian state.



Netanyahu, aligning himself with Trump, framed the plan as a joint effort that advances his government's goals while shifting international criticism about the war onto Hamas, which must now choose between accepting it or facing continued siege.



The move could shore up Netanyahu's support at home by ending an increasingly unpopular war and winning the release of hostages still held by the Palestinian militant group, bolstering his chances at elections due in a year's time.



Trump's proposal, quickly endorsed by leaders across the Arab and Muslim world, asks little of Israel in the short term.



Instead, it puts all the pressure on Hamas, demanding the freedom for all of the remaining hostages and the surrender of its weapons as a precondition for ending Israel's siege of Gaza.



Israel's military would remain in Gaza for now, pulling back to positions along the border only once an international force assumes control. Netanyahu, who has insisted that Israel must retain overall security control after the war, said on Tuesday the military would stay in most of Gaza but offered no timeline.