The United States is pressuring Israel to pursue a comprehensive agreement with Hamas that would end the war and secure the return of all hostages, according to senior Israeli officials, even as the Israeli Cabinet prepares to approve expanded military operations in Gaza City.
A senior Israeli source said Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump has made clear to Jerusalem that he opposes interim deals. “Just as there are consultations in Israel, there are also consultations in the White House,” the official said. “President Trump is setting the pace and demanding a complete deal. He has developed an aversion to partial arrangements.”
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US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
(Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun, ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP, REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
According to sources close to Netanyahu, the prime minister sees a full assault on Gaza City as a critical pressure point. “The occupation of Gaza City can serve as leverage to force Hamas into a comprehensive deal under Israeli conditions,” said one official, outlining terms such as disarmament, demilitarization of Gaza, forced exile of Hamas leaders and excluding the group from any future governance.
Netanyahu’s office confirmed that he has ordered a reduction in the timelines for seizing Hamas strongholds and bringing the group to collapse. A similar directive was reportedly given earlier this month.
Trump’s hardline stance appears to have influenced the negotiations. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said it was “no coincidence” that Hamas responded after Trump declared that remaining hostages would only be freed “once Hamas is destroyed.”
Israeli officials have also voiced unease over how the IDF is branding its planned maneuver. The army has dubbed it Operation Gideon’s Chariots II, a name that some political leaders fear implies a limited operation rather than full conquest. “It’s operational pyrotechnics,” one official said, suggesting the military is signaling caution to the Cabinet.
Israel has laid out five core principles for ending the war: dismantling Hamas’ military capabilities, return of all hostages (living and dead), full demilitarization of Gaza, Israeli security control over the territory and the establishment of a non-Hamas, non-Palestinian Authority civilian administration.
As the war nears its second year, the central question remains: will an IDF push into Gaza City drive Hamas to agree to Israel’s terms, or will military escalation complicate the fragile diplomatic track already in play?
