U.S. President Donald Trump said he will talk to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Türkiye’s role in the Gaza Strip under the cease-fire plan.
Asked whether he expected Turkish forces to be deployed in Gaza ahead of his meeting with Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago beach club in Florida, Trump said: “If it is appropriate, I think it would be a great thing.”
He said he has a strong relationship with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and described Türkiye as a “great country” led by an “excellent leader.”
Netanyahu is on his fifth trip to the U.S. since the start of Trump’s second term, with his visit coming as talks continue to advance to the second phase of the October Gaza cease-fire plan, which followed more than two years of Israel’s genocidal war that has killed more than 71,200 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023.
The first phase of the ceasefire agreement included a halt to war, partial Israeli withdrawal, the exchange of all Israeli hostages, living and deceased, in return for the release of hundreds of Palestinians held by Israel, and the entry of “full humanitarian aid” into Gaza.
The second phase, outlined in Trump’s 20-point peace plan, includes a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas, deployment of an international stabilization force (ISF), and the establishment of a Palestinian “technocratic” committee to temporarily govern Gaza.
Israel has rejected Türkiye’s involvement in the ISF.
Türkiye, which has expressed readiness to contribute to Gaza cease-fire, has repeatedly condemned Israel’s for its “genocide” in Gaza.
Trump also said he wanted to move to the second phase of the cease-fire as soon as possible but that “there has to be a disarming of Hamas.”
He added that he would be open to supporting another rapid Israeli attack on Iran if that country keeps developing its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs.
“I feel that if you had the wrong prime minister, Israel would not exist,” Trump told reporters, in remarks full of praise for the Israeli leader.
He said Israeli President Isaac Herzog had told him he planned to pardon Netanyahu of corruption-related charges. He added that he hoped Israel could get along with Syria, even as Netanyahu’s government has consistently infringed upon Syrian territorial sovereignty since former dictator Bashar al-Assad was deposed late last year.
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