Donald Trump reportedly clashed with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu during a phone call about the latest efforts to secure a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.
According to multiple U.S. and Israeli officials, Trump told Netanyahu he was being “too negative” about the prospects for peace after Hamas delivered an ambiguous response to a new 20-point American proposal.
The phone conversation, which took place on Friday, centered on Hamas’s conditional offer to release remaining hostages held in Gaza.
While the group’s political representatives in Qatar suggested they were prepared to move forward under certain terms, they stopped short of committing to disarmament, a key element of Washington’s plan.
A heated exchange between allies
Sources familiar with the call described a “tense but ultimately constructive” discussion between the two leaders.
Netanyahu reportedly told Trump (per The Independent) that Hamas’ response amounted to a rejection, insisting there was “nothing to celebrate.”
Trump, however, pushed back, urging the Israeli leader to view the situation as a “step forward.”
According to officials briefed on the exchange, the president told Netanyahu he didn’t understand why he was “always so f***ing negative.”
Speaking later to Axios, Trump said he told Netanyahu this was his “chance for victory,” adding that both sides needed to act decisively to end the conflict.
Details of the U.S. peace plan
Under the American proposal, Israel would agree to an immediate halt to airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza. In return, Hamas would release all 48 remaining hostages (along with the bodies of those killed) within a 72-hour window, Metro reports.
The deal also requires Hamas’s military wing to disarm, a sticking point that remains unresolved. U.S. officials believe divisions between Hamas’s political leadership in Qatar and its military command in Gaza could further complicate negotiations.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has been leading diplomatic efforts in the region, described the plan as the “closest both sides have come” to securing a breakthrough. However, he warned that “a lot of pitfalls” still stood in the way of a final agreement, per NBC News.
International pressure mounts
The Trump administration has faced mounting pressure to deliver a ceasefire amid growing international concern over civilian casualties in Gaza and the region’s worsening humanitarian crisis.
In a statement following the call, Trump urged both parties to “end hostilities immediately,” while warning Hamas that it would face “complete obliteration” if it refused to comply.
Rubio confirmed that he and his team will travel to Cairo for further peace talks, expressing hope that “90 percent” of the framework will be in place before their arrival.
Still, he acknowledged that the ongoing war has “undeniably damaged Israel’s international standing,” complicating diplomatic efforts even further.
Despite tensions between Washington and Jerusalem, both governments continue to describe their relationship as “strong and strategic,” with the U.S. committed to Israel’s security while pushing for a long-term resolution to the Gaza conflict.