Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday vehemently dismissed allegations that President Donald Trump is coercing Israel into making concessions during hostage release negotiations taking place in Doha. While entering a meeting with Senate Republican Majority Leader John Thune, Netanyahu criticized Israeli and American media outlets that reported Trump was applying pressure.
Netanyahu stated, "This is as accurate as the reports that existed before the Iran war about major tension and significant gaps between us. And I ask, 'When will they learn?'"
Concerning the hostage agreement itself, the prime minister declared, "There's friendship, coordination, cooperation, and shared approaches that have never existed previously. I can attest to this, having served as prime minister for 18 years. Nothing like this has ever existed. We are working to free our hostages and end Hamas governance in Gaza, through shared objectives and shared tactics. This is the key to success, and I hope it will materialize."
Minimal progress was achieved in the Doha negotiations regarding a ceasefire and hostage release agreement, though the primary obstacle, IDF redeployment positions, remains distant from resolution. Israel presented an additional proposal for IDF positioning during the ceasefire period.
According to Israeli and American sources, the proposal is phased, essentially offering broader withdrawal, but only corresponding to progress in negotiations about ending the war, should such progress occur.
Responding to American media questions about Gaza emigration, Netanyahu dismissed claims that this constitutes forced transfer. "This is called freedom of choice. Gaza residents will have the option to choose where to live, without Hamas pointing weapons at their heads."
Netanyahu's meeting with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, one of Israel's strongest supporters within the administration, completed the prime minister's series of meetings with the entire American leadership, including two encounters with President Trump within a single day. However, he kept the substantive details of these meetings, if any existed, confidential. According to a senior diplomatic source, the objective of the meetings with Trump and his team is indeed Middle East restructuring following the Iran war, emphasizing the conclusion of the Gaza conflict.
The second meeting between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump on Tuesday evening lasted approximately ninety minutes and occurred partially in private and partially with Vice President J.D. Vance present. Israel Hayom learned that regarding Iran, both leaders discussed measures that both nations will implement to ensure Iran does not restart its nuclear program. According to a senior diplomatic source, the US and Israel will prevent Iran from redeveloping ballistic missile capabilities that could endanger Israel and the world.
Regarding Gaza, the president and prime minister focused primarily on its future "the day after" the war concludes.
Following Netanyahu's instructions and the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet's decision, the IDF commenced preparations for establishing a humanitarian zone that will house 350,000 Gaza Strip residents. The zone will be constructed in southern Gaza according to Diplomatic-Security Cabinet decisions Saturday evening, implementing the "humanitarian separation" plan between Gaza residents and Hamas members. Per the prime minister's requirements, establishing the humanitarian zones will proceed during the ceasefire, should one occur.
The decision to create the humanitarian zones was made despite IDF and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir's opposition, who stated, among other points, that the military lacks sufficient personnel to execute the plan. Nevertheless, the prime minister and other ministers believe that establishing the zones represents a crucial step toward dismantling Hamas's civilian and military authority. A senior diplomatic source in the prime minister's Washington delegation stated earlier this week that "eliminating Hamas' ability to distribute food means collapsing civilian control." Therefore, Netanyahu insisted on this step against the security establishment's position.
According to this plan, every Gaza resident entering the humanitarian zone will undergo screening to verify they possess no weapons and are not Hamas members. Through this method, Gaza residents not in the humanitarian zones will be categorized as Hamas operatives, making them legally eliminable. An IDF spokesperson declined to respond to Israel Hayom's inquiry regarding this matter.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced yesterday that he imposed individual sanctions on UN Middle East Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese from the "Human Rights Council." The justification is an extensive series of antisemitic and anti-Israeli statements and distortions in her declarations and reports. Rubio accuses her of conducting a political campaign against the US and Israel. "We will always support our allies and continue taking every measure against lawfare to protect our sovereignty and that of our allies," the secretary of state stated, who also functions as national security advisor.
Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon welcomed this development and commented, "Albanese's one-sided and continuous campaign against Israel and the United States has long exceeded the boundary between defending human rights and propaganda that is fundamentally antisemitic.
"Albanese consistently damages the UN's credibility through disseminating false and dangerous narratives, completely detached from reality. We will not remain silent and will not stop continuing to expose the anti-Semitic forces operating under UN protection."
