NETANYAHU DEFIES TRUMP-BROKERED CEASEFIRE – WHITE HOUSE FURIOUS OVER UNCOORDINATED STRIKE
Tensions between Washington and Tel Aviv are boiling after Israel killed top Hamas commander Raed Saad without notifying the U.S., a move the White House calls a violation of the Trump-brokered ceasefire.
U.S. officials say a stern message was delivered to Netanyahu: “If you want to ruin your reputation, be our guest, but don’t drag President Trump’s name down with you.”
Behind closed doors, frustration is growing. Trump, Sec. Rubio, and envoys Witkoff and Kushner are reportedly fed up with what they see as Israeli inflexibility on Gaza, Syria, and the West Bank.
The White House accuses Netanyahu of undermining efforts to stabilize the region and expand the Abraham Accords, especially with Arab states now refusing to meet with him.
Trump told Netanyahu in a recent call that he needs to be “a better partner” if the peace process is to move forward.
The ceasefire’s second phase requires Israel to pull back troops from Gaza, a move Netanyahu is stalling on.
As one senior U.S. official put it: “We’re not asking Netanyahu to compromise Israel’s security. We’re asking him to stop taking steps that the Arab world sees as provocations.”
The risk ahead.
If this rift deepens, the consequences could be far-reaching:
– The Gaza ceasefire could collapse, dragging the region back into open war.
– The Abraham Accords could stall or even reverse, closing the door on potential normalization with Saudi Arabia and beyond.
– Trump’s legacy deal, his central foreign policy achievement, could unravel, just as the region seemed to be turning a corner.
The next meeting between Trump and Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago on September 29 may determine whether the Gaza deal survives, or collapses under the weight of mistrust.
Source: Axios
Media: SBS