Donald Trump, running for the Republican presidential nomination, revealed during a recent statement that he advised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to conclude the military operations in Gaza swiftly when they met in July. However, Trump also expressed his disagreement with calls for a ceasefire, suggesting that such demands were not the solution to the conflict.
“He knows what he’s doing, I did encourage him to get this over with,” Trump told reporters at a press conference on Thursday. “It has to get over with fast. … Get your victory and get it over with. It has to stop, the killing has to stop.”
Donald Trump, running for the Republican presidential nomination, indicated that during his July encounter with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago estate, he advised Netanyahu to swiftly conclude the conflict in Gaza. Trump emphasized the need for Israel to achieve a quick victory, underscoring his belief in ending the hostilities promptly to halt the ongoing violence.
Trump’s comments come in light of his criticism towards the ceasefire calls made by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who is now the Democratic presidential candidate. He suggested that rather than seeking a ceasefire, Israel should aim for a decisive and rapid resolution to the conflict.
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This stance was reiterated at a press conference where Trump, reflecting on his conversation with Netanyahu, expressed a desire for the conflict to end quickly, with Israel securing a victory to stop the bloodshed.
His remarks also come against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the Middle East, following the assassination of key figures from Hamas and Hezbollah, which have escalated fears of a wider regional conflict.
Trump’s approach contrasts with the Biden administration’s efforts, which have been pushing for a ceasefire and a more diplomatic resolution to the crisis, highlighting a significant policy difference between the two presidential candidates on the issue of the Israel-Gaza conflict.
“From the start, Harris has worked to tie Israel’s hand behind its back, demanding an immediate ceasefire, always demanding ceasefire,” Trump said, adding it “would only give Hamas time to regroup and launch a new October 7 style attack.”
Trump added: “I will give Israel the support that it needs to win but I do want them to win fast.”
In the same event, Trump also labelled pro-Palestinian supporters calling for an end to US support for Israel’s war as “pro-Hamas thugs” and “jihad sympathizers.” He threatened to arrest and deport them from the US if he became president.
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Netanyahu’s office and Donald Trump have both refuted a claim by Axios that they had a conversation about the Gaza ceasefire and the release of hostages. This comes amidst ongoing efforts by the Biden administration to establish a ceasefire, with a detailed plan proposed back in May. Despite these efforts, negotiations for a ceasefire in exchange for hostages have encountered numerous hurdles.
The Axios article, which referenced two U.S. sources, suggested that Trump might have been trying to persuade Netanyahu to accept the deal, although the source was uncertain about the content of the supposed conversation.
This week, Egypt, the U.S., and Qatar are set to engage in another round of talks aimed at achieving a ceasefire in Gaza. The U.S., as Israel’s key ally, believes that a ceasefire would mitigate the risk of the conflict expanding into a broader regional war.
The current phase of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict began with an attack by Hamas on October 7, resulting in 1,200 deaths and the capture of around 250 hostages. Israel’s response has led to over 40,000 Palestinian casualties, as reported by Gaza’s health ministry, and has displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza, exacerbating a humanitarian crisis and prompting accusations of genocide, which Israel disputes.
