US President Donald Trump said Monday that significant progress was made during talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following their meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
Trump and Netanyahu meet in Florida
Trump and Netanyahu met at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach to discuss issues including the Gaza ceasefire, Israeli security concerns, Iran, and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
“This is a very good group. We made a lot of progress already,” Trump told reporters, adding that the meeting lasted about five minutes and that roughly three major difficulties had already been resolved.
Trump expresses strong backing for Netanyahu
Trump struck a notably supportive tone toward Netanyahu during the meeting, aligning closely with the Israeli leader.
“I feel that if you had the wrong prime minister, Israel would not exist,” Trump said, expressing praise and confidence in Netanyahu’s leadership.
Netanyahu stood alongside Trump as Israel continues to face concerns over potential renewed threats from its regional adversaries.
Trump says he spoke with the president of Israel and a pardon of Netanyahu is “on its way” pic.twitter.com/cOVsp6I7Je
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 29, 2025
Gaza ceasefire and Hamas disarmament
Trump said he wants to move quickly to the second phase of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas but stressed that Hamas must be disarmed.
Under the October ceasefire agreement, Israel withdrew from Gaza while Hamas surrendered weapons and gave up its governing role. The first phase included partial Israeli withdrawal, increased humanitarian aid, and the exchange of hostages for Palestinian detainees.
While large-scale fighting has eased, violence has not fully stopped. Gaza health officials reported more than 400 Palestinian deaths from Israeli strikes since the ceasefire began, while Palestinian militants killed at least three Israeli soldiers.
Trump also said opening the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza would depend on the return of hostage remains by Hamas.
Iran and regional tensions
On Iran, Trump said he would consider supporting another rapid Israeli strike if Tehran continues developing ballistic missile and nuclear programs.
Earlier in June, Iran and Israel engaged in nearly 12 days of conflict, during which Trump ordered US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Since then, Trump has discussed the possibility of a deal with Tehran.
Netanyahu said Israel was not seeking confrontation with Iran but remained concerned about its activities and would raise the issue with Trump.
Israel and Hezbollah ceasefire
In November 2024, the US backed a ceasefire that ended more than a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. The agreement required the group’s disarmament in areas south of the river near Israel.
While Lebanon said it was close to completing the disarmament process by year’s end, Hezbollah has resisted calls to give up its weapons. Israel has continued near-daily strikes in Lebanon, saying the operations are aimed at preventing Hezbollah from rebuilding.
