President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "do whatever you want" regarding Gaza operations, CBS News reported Sunday, as the Israeli leader praised Trump's "bold vision" for the region's future and accepted a major US weapons delivery previously blocked by the Biden administration.
In a joint appearance with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said Israel and the United States share a "common strategy" regarding Gaza. "We can't always share the details of this strategy with the public, including when the gates of hell will be opened, as they surely will if all our hostages are not released until the last one," Netanyahu said, according to CBS News.
Video: Trump speaking about Netanyahu / Credit: Social media
Rubio, speaking to CBS News "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan after meeting Netanyahu, emphasized ongoing efforts to secure the hostages' release. "Obviously, there are details of how we're pursuing that and coordinating that we're not going to share publicly because we don't want to endanger the hostages and we don't want to endanger this process," Rubio said.
The statements came as the first phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Gaza approaches its end in two weeks. The second phase, involving the release of remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and Israeli force withdrawal, remains under negotiation.
Netanyahu welcomed Trump's recent proposal for Gaza's future, praising the "unequivocal support" from the US. Rubio acknowledged that Trump's vision to transform the Gaza Strip into a "Riviera of the Middle East" had surprised many observers. "The president's also been very bold about his view of what the future for Gaza should be, not the same tired ideas of the past, but something that's bold and something that, frankly, took courage and vision," Rubio said, according to CBS News.
Trump, speaking to reporters at the Daytona 500, commented on his discussions with Netanyahu: "I told Bibi you do whatever you want. Because my statement was, they got to comeback." The former president noted that recently released hostages appeared to be in "pretty good shape."
Tensions escalated Sunday when the Israeli military conducted an airstrike in southern Gaza. The Hamas-run Interior Ministry reported three police officers were killed while securing aid truck entry near Rafah. Hamas called the attack a "serious violation" of the ceasefire and accused Netanyahu of attempting to undermine the agreement.
The conflict began after Hamas's October 7 attack, which killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and took 251 hostages.
On Saturday, Israel received a shipment of MK-84 heavy bombs after Trump lifted restrictions previously imposed by the Biden administration, CBS News reported. When asked about the weapons delivery, Trump emphasized, "Peace through strength. You understand that, right? It's called peace through strength."
During their meeting, Netanyahu and Rubio also addressed concerns about Iran, with both officials emphasizing the need to prevent Iranian nuclear weapons development and counter regional aggression. Netanyahu highlighted Israel's recent actions against Iran since the Gaza war began, expressing confidence in completing "the job" with Trump's support.
