The Trump administration has issued a stark ultimatum to Israel, warning that continued military operations in Gaza could jeopardize U.S. support, the Washington Post reported on Monday.
An anonymous source familiar with the discussions stated that U.S. officials conveyed to Israeli counterparts that failure to conclude the war would lead to a withdrawal of American backing.
“Trump’s people are letting Israel know, ‘We will abandon you if you do not end this war,’” the source said. “Politically, as in the past, Netanyahu has a way to do that, with a huge majority in the Knesset and in Israel, but he does not have the political will.”
White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt confirmed that the administration continues to engage with all parties involved in the war. “The president wants the war in Gaza to end,” she said during a briefing, noting that Trump has conveyed a direct demand to Hamas to release all hostages held in captivity for nearly 600 days. The statement follows last week’s surprise release of Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander, secured through direct U.S.-Hamas negotiations without Israel’s involvement.
Israeli officials expressed shock at the backchannel contacts, which began through Trump’s envoy for hostage affairs, Adam Boehler. Jerusalem initially claimed Boehler acted without authority, but the successful outcome of the talks later revealed he had Trump’s full backing.
Following mounting pressure—especially from senior Republicans and Trump himself—Netanyahu authorized the reintroduction of humanitarian aid into Gaza. For the first time in months, five UN aid trucks entered the enclave on Monday after passing Israeli security checks. This marked a reversal from Israel’s prior policy, which had conditioned aid on the release of all hostages.
Trump publicly criticized the humanitarian situation in Gaza during a recent visit to the UAE, saying, “People are starving. Terrible things are happening there.” He also told reporters that during a call with Netanyahu in April, he pressed the Israeli leader to allow more food and medicine into the enclave. “Gaza came up, and I said we need to be good to Gaza. People there are suffering,” Trump recounted.
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Despite this, Netanyahu reportedly pushed the aid measure through the Security Cabinet without a vote, knowing that most ministers opposed it. He acknowledged he was under heavy pressure from both Trump and top Republican lawmakers.
Trump reveals nuclear talks with Iran during meeting with Netanyahu in the Oval Office
(Video: Reuters)
The tensions come amid a broader strain in U.S.-Israel relations. According to NBC News, Netanyahu was particularly angered by Trump’s recent public comments suggesting he had not yet decided whether to permit Iran to enrich uranium under a potential new nuclear deal. Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer reportedly raised the issue with Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, during a meeting at the White House.
Other flashpoints include Trump’s reluctance to support Israeli military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities and his decision to halt U.S. military operations against the Houthis in Yemen. That announcement reportedly caught Netanyahu off guard, coming just hours after Israel conducted a major strike on Sanaa Airport in response to a Houthi missile that landed near Ben Gurion Airport.
Compounding these tensions, U.S. officials have indicated that Trump no longer views normalization with Israel as a prerequisite for a Saudi nuclear deal—further deepening Jerusalem’s concerns about waning influence in Washington.