Axios: Netanyahu will try to persuade Trump to continue the war in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will try to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump to approve plans to continue military operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Axios writes.

Israeli officials told Axios that Netanyahu is waiting to see where Trump stands on the second phase of the deal—which is supposed to lead to a permanent ceasefire, and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza—before he makes any decisions. “Netanyahu hopes he’ll be able to influence Trump’s thinking and convince him to endorse his plans for the war in Gaza,” the officials said.

One Israeli official said that if Netanyahu decides not to move toward the second phase of the deal, the implication could be at least another year of war in Gaza in an attempt to topple Hamas. Israeli officials say the negotiations won’t start on Monday, as outlined in the deal, because Netanyahu decided not to send the negotiations team to Doha before he meets with Trump on Tuesday.

Earlier, the Israeli Prime Minister’s office said Netanyahu and White House envoy Steve Witkoff had agreed to begin negotiations on the next phase of the Gaza deal on Feb. 3 in Washington.