U.S. President Donald Trump during a telephone conversation with Axios on Monday stopped short of endorsing Israel’s plan to step up military activity in Gaza, but “seemed to agree” that increasing the pressure on Hamas was necessary.
The terrorist organization “can’t stay” in Gaza, said the U.S. leader, adding, “I have one thing to say: remember Oct. 7, remember Oct. 7,” referring to the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas invasion of southern Israel.
Trump had had a “good call” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, he told Axios. “The two discussed Israel’s plans to take control of the remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza in order to end the war with the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas,” according to a readout of the call released by Netanyahu’s office.
“The prime minister thanked President Trump for his steadfast support of Israel since the beginning of the war,” it added.
On Aug. 7, Israel’s Security Cabinet decided by a “decisive majority” to approve Netanyahu’s plan to take over Gaza City.
While some Israeli military commanders argued against an expanded operation for fear it would endanger the some 20 Hamas hostages still believed to be alive, Trump told Axios it was always going to be “very rough to get [the captives]” because Hamas isn’t going to let them out “in the current situation.”
Israel’s war plan was received with global opprobrium, particularly from its European allies. On Aug. 8, foreign ministers from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and others rejected the plan in a joint statement, claiming, “It will aggravate the catastrophic humanitarian situation” in Gaza and calling for an immediate ceasefire.
The plan to conquer Gaza City is a watered-down version of Netanyahu’s original plan to occupy the 25% of the Gaza Strip that Israel has not yet taken over.
The change in plan was such that the Religious Zionism Party, a coalition member, considered abandoning the government over it, political sources told JNS.
On Saturday evening, the party’s chairman, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, issued a blistering denunciation of the prime minister. “The prime minister and the Cabinet succumbed to weakness, and let emotion win over common sense,” Smotrich said in a video post on X.
For weeks, Smotrich revealed, he had been working “intensively” with Netanyahu on a plan for a speedy military victory followed by a diplomatic move that would exact “a painful price” from Hamas.
“The prime minister seemed to support the plan. He debated with me on the details and broadcast that he was striving for a victory and this time he intended to go all the way. But to my regret, he immediately made a U-turn,” said Smotrich.
The purpose of Israel’s current effort, he continued, was only to bring Hamas back to negotiations. “That’s how you don’t defeat [your enemy], that’s how you don’t return hostages, that’s how you don’t win a war,” he added.
