This weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly championed an emerging plan aimed at securing the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas and bringing an end to the two-year conflict in Gaza, claiming significant personal success.
However, it became increasingly obvious to observers in Israel, Palestine, and across the region that the true orchestrator of this agreement was none other than President Trump.
In a televised address on Saturday, Netanyahu declared that the plan was the culmination of weeks of diplomatic coordination and a joint presentation with President Trump and his advisory team.
President Trump offered a different account. During a Saturday conversation with a prominent Israeli correspondent, he implied that he had to forcefully persuade a hesitant Netanyahu to accept the terms of the deal.
Trump recounted telling Netanyahu, whom he referred to by his nickname ‘Bibi,’ ‘This is your opportunity for a win.’ He then added, ‘He accepted it. He had no other option. When I’m involved, you have to agree.’
Analysts suggest that Netanyahu found himself unable to defy Trump. With Israel facing mounting international criticism over its wartime actions and increasing global isolation, its dependence on U.S. support has become more pronounced.
Nahum Barnea, a renowned Israeli political columnist for the Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth, succinctly put it: ‘Trump doesn’t threaten Netanyahu; he orders him.’ His Sunday article was tellingly titled ‘He’s the Boss.’
Barnea elaborated that recent events vividly exposed this dynamic to all. He pointed to Trump’s Friday ultimatum to Hamas to accept the peace proposal, followed by the president’s swift declaration of an ‘unqualified yes’ despite Hamas’s nuanced acceptance.
Pictured last Tuesday, President Trump indicated that he had to exert considerable pressure on a seemingly unwilling Prime Minister Netanyahu to agree to the terms of the Gaza peace plan.
Through a Saturday social media post, Israelis discovered that their nation had already consented to an initial withdrawal line within Gaza for the deal’s first phase. This phase would involve exchanging approximately 20 living hostages and 28 deceased bodies for 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences, alongside hundreds of other Gazans detained during the conflict.
Trump’s post further stated that a ceasefire would take effect ‘IMMEDIATELY’ once Hamas officially agreed to the terms.
For months, Netanyahu had been meticulously navigating a challenging political landscape. He was committed to delivering on his promise of a ‘total victory’ against Hamas, the group whose October 7, 2023 attack initiated the war. Simultaneously, he sought to maintain his political position by placating his far-right coalition, which staunchly opposed any agreement that allowed Hamas to remain in power.
Concurrently, the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, marked by tens of thousands of Palestinian casualties and widespread hunger, drew intense global condemnation. Public opinion polls indicated that most Israelis, already doubting the feasibility of ‘total victory,’ supported ending the war to secure the hostages’ return. It became clear that Trump’s patience with the situation was wearing thin.
Mitchell Barak, an Israeli pollster and former Netanyahu aide from the 1990s, commented on the Prime Minister’s predicament: ‘It appears Hamas isn’t going anywhere, and the ‘total victory’ he promised seems elusive. I believe he recognized that his influence with Trump had diminished.’
Barak contrasted Netanyahu’s current situation with his past defiance of the Biden or Obama administrations, stating, ‘For the first time, Netanyahu cannot ignore an American president’s demands, precisely because of Trump’s operational style. Trump is unpredictable and won’t simply align with Israel’s stance.’
This dynamic became increasingly apparent as Trump balanced his relationship with Netanyahu against his broader regional interests, which include maintaining ties with nations like Turkey—whose President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been vocally critical of Israel—and Qatar, a country Netanyahu recently accused of supporting terrorist groups.
Just two months prior, Netanyahu’s government sanctioned a controversial plan to expand the war, aiming to seize control of Gaza City. This risky decision defied Israeli military recommendations. Leaders framed the operation as crucial for eliminating Hamas’s final strongholds and dismantling its military and governing infrastructure.
Last month, Palestinians were seen evacuating Gaza City, heading south. The dire humanitarian situation, with thousands dead and widespread hunger, has provoked severe international outrage.
The military’s progress was slow, primarily focused on relocating nearly a million residents to the southern part of Gaza.
On Saturday, Netanyahu attributed Hamas’s eventual acceptance to a combination of sustained military and diplomatic pressure.
However, even before the technicalities for hostage release were finalized and talks were slated to begin in Egypt on Monday, Trump had effectively paused the military’s advance on Gaza City.
Upon receiving Hamas’s response on Friday, Trump publicly demanded: ‘Israel must immediately cease bombing Gaza to ensure the safe and swift release of hostages!’
By Saturday, Israeli forces had scaled back to defensive operations and reacting to immediate threats, contradicting Netanyahu’s consistent stance that negotiations would only proceed under active military engagement.
Netanyahu also proudly announced Saturday that Israel was ‘on the verge of a significant achievement’ in recovering its hostages, while simultaneously assuring that Israeli forces would retain control over ‘all strategic areas deep within’ the Palestinian territory.
The redeployment map unveiled by Trump showed Israel retaining substantial control within Gaza’s borders. However, it also clearly stipulated the evacuation of a critical corridor that divides the enclave, severing north from south.
Just days earlier, Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, had announced the military was ‘completing the takeover’ of the Netzarim Corridor—a strategic passage that had been previously captured and evacuated.
Trump’s actions publicly embarrassed Netanyahu, particularly when he made the Israeli leader apologize to Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, for a failed Israeli attempt to assassinate Hamas leaders in Doha. The image released by the White House, showing Netanyahu reading a written apology while Trump casually held the phone, underscored this humiliation.
Furthermore, Trump and his team pushed Netanyahu to agree to a clause in the deal that, despite its vagueness and conditions, promised a ‘credible pathway’ to Palestinian statehood—a direct contradiction of Netanyahu’s long-standing political platform against such a development.
Barak asserted that Netanyahu’s career had experienced a ‘free fall’ in recent days, noting, ‘He accepted every demand.’
Nevertheless, other experts point out that as Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, Netanyahu has a history of weathering significant blows to his public image.
Mazal Mualem, an Israeli political commentator and biographer of Netanyahu, observed, ‘Bibi understands the desires and requirements of the opposing side. He knows precisely when to exercise restraint.’
Mualem believes Netanyahu has successfully framed the deal as an Israeli victory for his party and political base, taking full ownership of the outcome.
She concluded that Netanyahu, with his historical perspective, understands that ‘clashing with Trump would ultimately harm Netanyahu, not Trump.’