Netanyahu outlines next Gaza plan as he faces Trump’s assessment of his conduct

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, spoke in an interview with CBS News about the next steps in the deal to end the war in Gaza, and commented on U.S. President Donald Trump’s description of him as “not the easiest person to deal with.”

Netanyahu said that the terms of Trump’s 20-point plan to end the war are “very clear,” noting that it is not only about recovering Israeli captives but also entails “disarmament and demilitarization” in the Gaza Strip.

He added, “We agreed to complete the first part of the plan and to give a chance for the second part to be implemented peacefully.”

“If the second part is not implemented peacefully, I heard President Trump say that the gates of hell will open,” he added.

Under the agreement reached in Sharm el-Sheikh, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, Turkey and the United States on the first phase of Trump’s plan, a ceasefire came into effect in Gaza last Friday, Israeli forces partially withdrew and a prisoner exchange took place between Hamas and Israel.

Concurrently with the release of prisoners, Trump delivered a speech to the Knesset the day before yesterday in which he declared the war over, then took part in a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh with leaders from Qatar, Egypt, Turkey and about 20 countries, where a guarantees document on the agreement was signed.

Asked in the interview why Trump described him in his Knesset speech as not easy, Netanyahu said, “I hope he says that because I am very firm on matters concerning Israel’s future.”
He added that his responsibility as Israel’s leader is to ensure the removal of any threats to its existence, he said.

Trump has stressed that the war in Gaza is over and expressed confidence that the agreement will hold, although Netanyahu has been reluctant to issue an explicit declaration to that effect.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, the U.S. president said that the second phase of the Gaza agreement had begun, and that Hamas had informed the United States it would relinquish its arms. “If it does not, we will take care of it,” he said. The movement has not issued any statement to that effect.

On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the second phase of the Gaza agreement has begun, said he had spoken to Hamas, and also said that talks with Hamas involved senior U.S. officials.