Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is caught between mounting US pressure and demands from his far-right coalition as the Trump administration pushes a new peace plan for Gaza.
The American 21-point proposal envisions Hamas’s removal from power, Gaza’s reconstruction, and eventually a pathway toward Palestinian statehood. While much of the plan aligns with Israel’s long-standing security concerns, the clauses suggesting a future Palestinian Authority role in Gaza and the possibility of statehood pose major challenges for Netanyahu.
At the UN General Assembly, Netanyahu firmly rejected the idea of a Palestinian state after October 7, calling it “sheer madness.” Yet sources close to the premier acknowledged that Israel may be asked to make “painful and significant” concessions, particularly regarding the Palestinian Authority’s involvement.
The US has also applied heavy diplomatic pressure on Qatar to push Hamas toward accepting the plan, seeking to shift negotiations squarely onto Netanyahu’s government.
Inside Israel, political divisions are stark. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir warned Netanyahu has “no mandate” to end the war without Hamas’s complete defeat. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich demanded three conditions: no role for the PA, Hamas’s total dismantling, and annexation of parts of the West Bank. Settlement leaders are sending a delegation to the US to urge Netanyahu to extend sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, regardless of Trump’s opposition to annexation.
Other voices, including Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and opposition leader Yair Lapid, emphasized the urgent need to end the nearly two-year war and secure the hostages’ release, even if it requires concessions.
With Netanyahu set to meet Trump in the coming days, he faces an uphill task of balancing American expectations, coalition pressures, and Israel’s long-term security needs. The outcome could determine not only Gaza’s future but also Israel’s political stability.
