Diplomacy & Geopolitics
Trump says Netanyahu ties 'very good' despite Gaza rift
US President Donald Trump said Monday that his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “very good” despite Netanyahu's rejection of a US-led Gaza plan.
Trump made the comment in response to a shouted question from a journalist at the end of an Oval Office event.
Netanyahu explicitly stated on Sunday that he opposed the Gaza plan, which called for Israel to begin pulling back forces in tandem with disarmament by Hamas. He had faced pressure from far-right members of his cabinet, and polls show the plan is unpopular with his right-wing base.
Netanyahu is running even or trailing in some polls ahead of Israel's October 27 elections, the country's first since the 2023 Hamas attack that sparked the Gaza war.
Netanyahu had until recently campaigned on the strength of his relationship with Trump, who has taken major steps to back Israel, including moving the US embassy to Jerusalem. The two leaders also diverged after Trump sought a ceasefire and later settlement to the conflict with Iran.
The Gaza plan was the latest stage in a US-brokered ceasefire announced in October that has reduced, but not ended, Israeli operations in Gaza.
Gaza's health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority and whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations, says Israeli operations have killed more than 1,250 Palestinians since the ceasefire. The Israeli army has reported five deaths in its ranks during the same period.
Update
Netanyahu is running even or trailing in some polls ahead of Israel's October 27 elections.
Polls show the Gaza plan is unpopular with Netanyahu's right-wing base, and far-right cabinet members urged him to kill it.
The item adds context that Trump and Netanyahu diverged after Trump sought a ceasefire and settlement to the Iran conflict.
Source note: AFP news report published on 10 August 2026 at 20:56:04 UTC.
Update
Donald Trump said his relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu was “very good” despite Netanyahu's rejection of a US-led Gaza plan.
Source note: AFP news report published on 10 August 2026 at 19:47:11 UTC.
Update
Analysts quoted by AFP said Netanyahu's rejection gives Hamas a tactical and public-relations advantage.
Yossi Mekelberg said Netanyahu is trying to keep support from his right-wing base before the October 27 election.
The item says Israel has stopped air strikes since August 3, while Gaza authorities report periodic Israeli gunfire.
Ehud Eilam said Israeli strikes could resume or intensify at any time.
Ghaith al-Omari said Netanyahu's rejection lets pressure off Hamas by allowing mediators to say Hamas committed while Israel did not.
Source note: AFP news report published on 10 August 2026 at 16:52:18 UTC.
Update
Netanyahu described Donald Trump as Israel's “greatest friend in the White House” while saying Israel was raising objections to the Gaza plan with the United States.
The item says Netanyahu faces close October 27 elections and polls show the Gaza plan is unpopular with his right-wing base.
Far-right members of Netanyahu's cabinet have urged him to kill the plan, according to the item.
Civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said Israeli gunfire on Sunday injured several people, including a child taken to hospital, in Khan Yunis.
The item says Israel appears to have decreased, but not stopped, operations in Gaza since the plan was announced.
Source note: AFP news report published on 9 August 2026 at 20:14:39 UTC.
Update
Nickolay Mladenov said further talks were underway and that he hoped they would lead to a positive outcome.
Mladenov described the current stage as a commitment involving the United States, Hamas and the Board of Peace, not Israel.
Mladenov said Israeli withdrawal would follow verified Hamas demilitarisation and that disarmament would include all Hamas weapons, down to Kalashnikov rifles.
Israel has demanded the destruction of all Hamas weapons, not only that they be handed over.
Source note: AFP news report published on 9 August 2026 at 19:58:19 UTC.
Update
The head of President Donald Trump's Board of Peace said the Gaza plan rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the “only way forward”.
Source note: AFP news report published on 9 August 2026 at 19:34:21 UTC.
Update
Netanyahu is running even or trailing in some polls ahead of October 27 elections, and the Gaza plan is unpopular with his right-wing base.
Hamas said it remained committed to the plan after Netanyahu's rejection.
Egypt called on all sides to honour their commitments and avoid action that could jeopardise progress.
Gaza civil defence said Israeli gunfire injured a child in Khan Yunis on Sunday.
Gaza's health ministry said Israeli operations have killed 1,258 Palestinians since the ceasefire, while the Israeli army has reported five deaths in its ranks in the same period.
Source note: AFP news report published on 9 August 2026 at 14:41:04 UTC.
Update
Netanyahu described Trump as Israel's “greatest friend in the White House” while saying Israel would challenge parts of the US-led Gaza plan.
Netanyahu said Israel was raising objections to the Gaza plan with the United States.
The item adds context that Netanyahu and Trump have also diverged over Iran and that Israel recently struck Lebanon during US-mediated talks.
Source note: AFP news report published on 9 August 2026 at 13:00:00 UTC.
Update
Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim told AFP that mediators and the United States should pressure Benjamin Netanyahu and his government to follow the Gaza roadmap.
Naim said Hamas expected pressure on Israel not to obstruct the process for what he described as internal political and electoral reasons.
Source note: AFP news report published on 9 August 2026 at 12:18:24 UTC.
Update
Netanyahu explicitly said Israel rejects the 15-point document.
Netanyahu said Israel was speaking with the United States about its objections to the plan.
He said some US ideas were acceptable to Israel and some were not.
The item says Trump's Board of Peace backtracked after meeting Netanyahu and said Israel would only need to withdraw after complete disarmament.
Netanyahu faced pressure from far-right allies and his right-wing base ahead of elections.
Source note: AFP news report published on 9 August 2026 at 11:32:32 UTC.
Update
Benjamin Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting that Israel rejects the 15-point Gaza document.
Netanyahu said the Israeli military would not withdraw until Hamas is "genuinely" disarmed.
Netanyahu said the Israeli military would continue to thwart threats against Israeli forces and citizens.
Source note: AFP news report published on 9 August 2026 at 11:10:37 UTC.
Update
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel rejects the US Gaza plan endorsed by Hamas.
Source note: AFP news report published on 9 August 2026 at 11:04:40 UTC.
Update
Gaza's health ministry now says Israeli operations have killed 1,258 Palestinians since October last year, up from 1,257 in the candidate story.
Mahmoud Bassal of the civil defence agency said Israeli gunfire killed a Palestinian east of Deir al-Balah on Saturday.
Bassal said about 10 people, including children, were injured across the Gaza Strip, with some in critical condition.
AFP reported that Israeli operations in recent days appeared to have decreased in intensity, with firing and drones reported but not air strikes.
Source note: AFP news report published on 8 August 2026 at 17:52:58 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The supplied polling details are not identified by pollster, sample or date.
The future of the US-led Gaza plan remains unresolved after Netanyahu's rejection.
Source
AFP news report published on .