Trump has made it clear that his bond with Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu stays strong even after the prime minister turned down a major US proposal for Gaza. Speaking in the Oval Office on Monday, the president answered a reporter’s question by saying the relationship remains very good. This comes after days of rising tension between the two sides.
Netanyahu openly rejected the Gaza plan on Sunday. The proposal asked Israel to start pulling back its forces while Hamas begins to disarm. The plan forms part of a broader US-backed ceasefire process that began last October and has lowered the level of fighting without fully stopping it. Israeli operations in the territory have still caused more than 1,250 Palestinian deaths since the truce took effect, according to the Gaza health ministry. The Israeli army has reported five of its own soldiers killed in the same period.
The rejection puts Netanyahu in a difficult spot at home. He faces tight polls ahead of the October 27 elections, the first national vote since the 2023 Hamas attack that started the war. The Gaza plan is deeply unpopular with his right-wing supporters. Several far-right ministers in his cabinet pushed him hard to reject it. For months Netanyahu had highlighted his close ties with Trump, who has given Israel unusually strong backing, including the move of the US embassy to Jerusalem.
The two leaders worked together earlier this year when they launched a campaign against Iran. Their views later split when Trump pushed for a ceasefire and a longer-term settlement. That conflict had begun to hurt his popularity and drive up oil prices. The latest Gaza disagreement follows the same pattern of growing distance on key issues.
Despite these differences, Trump continues to describe the personal and political connection as solid. The statement aims to calm concerns that the long-standing partnership between Washington and Jerusalem is breaking down. With elections approaching in Israel and ongoing fighting in Gaza, the public comments from both leaders will be watched closely by officials and voters on both sides.
