Pressure Mounts: Trump-Netanyahu Meeting Set for Dec. 29 to Force Gaza Peace Deal Advance

High-Stakes Florida Summit

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is slated to depart for Florida on December 28th to meet with US President Donald Trump on the 29th. The high-stakes meeting will take place at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, a short distance from Miami. Netanyahu is expected to spend approximately a week in the area, using the time between Christmas and the New Year for meetings with Jewish communities, acquaintances, and close associates.

The Mar-a-Lago estate is a frequent holiday destination for President Trump, who typically plays golf at two clubs he owns in the area. Key members of his inner circle, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are often present during his stay and are expected to participate in the discussions with the Israeli Prime Minister.

US Demands: Phase Two Without Gvili

According to sources familiar with the details, the central focus of the meeting will be the accelerated transition to "Phase Two" of the Gaza plan. The US administration is aggressively pushing for this transition to be implemented, even if the body of the last fallen Israeli soldier, Ran Gvili, has not yet been repatriated, a critical demand that has stalled the process.

Officials in Washington are specifically pushing for direct pressure on Netanyahu to move forward, viewing the current diplomatic inertia as detrimental to the overall peace initiative.

Netanyahu, however, has maintained his position, stating that Phase Two will commence only once Phase One is completed with the return of Gvili. He has reiterated that Phase Two will involve disarming Hamas and demilitarizing Gaza, a step he calls critical to the Trump plan. The Prime Minister remains adamant that Hamas will not govern Gaza, whether the change happens the easy or the hard way.

Lebanon and Syria on the Agenda

Adding to the complexity, the US administration is strongly urging Netanyahu against initiating a major military operation in Lebanon. American officials believe that a wide-scale action against Hezbollah would severely harm the delicate diplomatic momentum they are attempting to build in the region.

The US has recently opened a diplomatic track through special envoy Morgan Ortagus, focusing on economic cooperation while seeking to address, though with limited effectiveness, Israel’s demand for the disarmament of Hezbollah. This focus was highlighted recently when the US Central Command commended Syrian forces for thwarting a weapons shipment intended for Hezbollah.

The status of Syria is also expected to be a major topic. President Trump, who holds a positive view of the new Syrian President Al-Sharaa, has requested that Netanyahu avoid any actions that would complicate the American effort to stabilize the new regime. In a phone conversation last week, where the meeting before the year’s end was finalized, Trump demanded that Israel work toward easing tensions in the Syrian arena to allow the new government to solidify its power.