PM Netanyahu says he’ll give Gaza ceasefire Phase 2 ‘a chance’ as US & Israel set 2-month disarmament deadline for Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected reports of strong disagreements during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, in an interview with Fox News that aired on Tuesday, amid reports that Jerusalem and Washington agreed to give Hamas two months to lay down its weapons.

The lack of progress in the U.S.-backed Gaza Peace Plan, which calls for both parties to advance to a second phase that has been prevented by Hamas’ refusal to release the last hostage body and disarm, was among the main topics of discussion during Netanyahu’s recent U.S. visit.

Speaking with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Netanyahu dismissed reports of him and Trump “butting heads” as more “fake spins.”

When asked if he heard “any frustration” about Israel’s strikes against Hamas since the ceasefire, Netanyahu replied, “Not from the president. He understands… we’re attacked. Terrorists try to kill us, sometimes kill our soldiers.”

“He cut right to the chase,” Netanyahu said about Trump. “He said, ‘Look, skip all this press stuff.’ I mean, the real thing is, you have got to get Hamas to disarm. He just banged the nail on the head, you know.”

Trump told reporters that Israel had “lived up to the plan,” while threatening Hamas that there would be “hell to pay” if the terror group wouldn’t disarm.

On Wednesday, Israel Hayom reported that Trump and Netanyahu agreed to give Hamas a two-month window to disarm, and that professional teams would provide a list of clear criteria to measure Hamas’ compliance with this demand.

Both sides reportedly agreed that the disarmament process must include the destruction of the remaining underground tunnel network in Gaza.

The report also confirmed remarks Netanyahu made to Fox News, where he reiterated that he and Trump agreed to “give a chance” for Hamas to disarm itself, which they dubbed the “easy way.”

“If not, it’ll be done another way.” A relatively stable government in Gaza is “possible” in the new year, if Hamas commits to disarming itself, Netanyahu agreed.

“If we disarm Hamas, whether with an international force or by any other means, yes, I see a different future for Gaza,” Netanyahu said. “And this is the one remaining step. Everybody understands that. I think Hamas understands it. That's why they don't want to do it. Because, you know, the point here is not to negotiate with Hamas. That's not the job. Their job is to vanish, stop, no more. And you know who wants it more than anyone else? The people of Gaza.“ 

The prime minister was also asked about disagreements that President Trump acknowledged over Israel’s policies in Judea and Samaria, but Netanyahu stressed that they agreed on one point: they “want to see a future in which that territory is not used for terrorist attacks.”

“We have done a lot of things in that regard. We also want to build a lot of infrastructure there. Both for us and for our Palestinian neighbors, and I think there is a lot of room to talk about it.”

The main takeaway from the meeting with Trump was the strength of the Israel-U.S. alliance, Netanyahu asserted.

“Israel emerged from the seven-front war foisted on us as the most powerful country in the Middle East. But part of that is the tremendous alliance we have with President Trump,” he said.

“It’s a partnership of like-minded people and leaders. And I am very grateful to President Trump for that support that he gives us.”