Trump Brushes Off Gaza Rift With Netanyahu, Calls Ties ‘Very Good’

Trump & Netanyahu – (Special Correspondent/Web Desk) – A new Gaza rift is now out in the open between the United States and Israel. On Monday, President Donald Trump told reporters that his ties with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are still “very good.” He said this even though Netanyahu recently turned down a major US-backed Gaza plan.

Trump gave this short answer during an event at the Oval Office. A reporter shouted a question at him about the state of his friendship with the Israeli leader. Trump did not pause. He simply said the bond between the two men remains solid.

But the facts on the ground tell a more mixed story. For over a week, Netanyahu had been slowly voicing doubts about the US plan. On Sunday, he made his stance clear. He openly rejected the deal. That plan asked Israel to pull back its troops step by step, while Hamas gave up its weapons at the same time.

This rejection comes at a tricky time for Netanyahu. He is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister. Yet some recent polls show him either tied or slightly behind his rivals. Israel will hold elections on October 27. This vote will be the country’s first since the deadly Hamas attack in 2023, which set off the long war in Gaza.

Many voters on the right do not like the Gaza plan. Hardline members of Netanyahu’s own cabinet pushed him to drop it completely. For years, Netanyahu built his political image around his close ties with Trump. The US leader has taken bold steps to support Israel, such as shifting the American embassy to Jerusalem.

Their alliance was not always smooth, though. Back in late February, Trump and Netanyahu jointly launched military action against Iran. Later, their paths split. Trump began pushing for a ceasefire and a broader peace deal. Rising oil prices and falling public support pushed him toward that choice.

The Gaza plan itself grew out of a ceasefire deal reached in October. That truce lowered the violence in Gaza but did not stop it fully. Since the ceasefire began, more than 1,250 Palestinians have died in Israeli military actions, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The United Nations views these numbers as trustworthy, even though Hamas runs the ministry. On the Israeli side, the army has reported five soldiers killed in the same span.

As tension builds ahead of the October vote, all eyes remain on whether Trump and Netanyahu can bridge this Gaza rift, or whether it will shape the outcome of Israel’s election.