Washington: In a fiery phone exchange that underscores mounting frustrations in Middle East diplomacy, US President Donald Trump sharply rebuked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for downplaying Hamas’ partial acceptance of a US-brokered 20-point Gaza peace plan.
“I don’t understand why you’re always so negative. This is a win — embrace it,” Trump reportedly snapped during the October 3 call, according to Axios and US officials.
The spat erupted after Hamas responded with a qualified “yes” to Trump’s ambitious proposal, which demands the immediate release of all 48 remaining Israeli hostages — about 20 believed alive — in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, a staged Israeli troop withdrawal, full Hamas disarmament, and a transitional international authority for Gaza.
Trump hailed it as a breakthrough, urging Israel to halt airstrikes and finalise the deal swiftly to avert further bloodshed; over 66,000 Palestinian and 1,200 Israeli lives have been lost since October 2023. Netanyahu, however, dismissed the response as “meaningless,”, insisting on ironclad disarmament and vowing military action if needed.
The call, Trump’s latest arm-twist on a reluctant Netanyahu, has propelled indirect talks forward. Israeli negotiators, led by Ron Dermer, arrived in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh resort on Monday for proximity discussions with Hamas delegates under Khalil al-Hayya, mediated by Egyptian, Qatari, and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Focus remains on Phase 1: partial Israeli pullback from Gaza City, hostage releases within 72 hours, and aid surges for rebuilding. Trump warned Hamas of “complete obliteration” sans compliance, while Netanyahu eyes the deal as a “great achievement” but guards against concessions.
As global protests swell on the war’s eve-of-anniversary, these talks — Trump’s boldest push yet — teeter on bridging deep distrust. A deal could rewrite the region; failure risks escalation.