Trump, visibly surprised, thanked Netanyahu for the gesture. “Thank you very much. This I did not know. Wow, thank you very much. Coming from you in particular, this is very meaningful,” he responded.
During their dinner, Netanyahu praised Trump’s global leadership, particularly his role in promoting peace and security in the Middle East. “I want to express the appreciation and admiration not only of all Israelis, but of the Jewish people and many, many admirers around the world, for your leadership of the free world and your pursuit of peace,” he said. Trump echoed the camaraderie, calling Netanyahu and his wife Sara “longtime friends” and noting that the two leaders had shared “tremendous success together” in recent years.
Netanyahu meets US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
Earlier, Netanyahu also met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at Blair House. Describing the meeting as “substantive and important,” Netanyahu said the two discussed strengthening the US-Israel alliance and addressing shared regional and global challenges.
Push for ceasefire deal and hostage release
Before departing for Washington, Netanyahu said Israeli negotiators had received clear instructions to achieve a ceasefire under conditions accepted by Israel. Speaking to reporters, he suggested that his talks in the US could help move the deal forward. “We've gotten a lot of the hostages out... quite a few of them will be coming out,” he said.
According to Israeli authorities, of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas in the October 2023 attack, 49 remain in Gaza, including 27 confirmed dead. Netanyahu had earlier rejected Hamas’s response to a draft US-backed ceasefire proposal, calling the terms “unacceptable.” The proposal, conveyed via Qatari and Egyptian mediators, includes a 60-day truce, phased hostage release, partial Israeli troop withdrawals, and talks to end the war.
(With inputs from PTI)
About The Author
Comment List