Donald Trump issued a sharp ultimatum to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, threatening serious consequences if the widely-criticized deal with Hamas was not finalized. According to a new report by The Wall Street Journal, Trump’s nominee for Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, delivered the message during a meeting with Netanyahu in Israel.
“The president has been a great friend of Israel, and now it’s time to be a friend back,” Witkoff said. He added that Trump was “exasperated” by delays and warned there would be “all hell to pay” if an agreement failed to materialize.
Sources familiar with the meeting revealed that Witkoff told Netanyahu his negotiating team must be empowered to make decisions, warning, “If Netanyahu didn’t want to work that way, everyone should just pack their bags and go home.”
Following the meeting, Netanyahu ordered his team—comprising representatives from Mossad, Shin Bet, the IDF, and political advisors—to travel to Qatar for urgent talks aimed at finalizing the agreement.
The deal, reached in Doha on Wednesday and approved by the Israeli government on Shabbos, closely resembles a proposal put forth by U.S. President Joe Biden in May. However, Netanyahu had resisted that earlier plan, citing pressure from his far-right coalition partners and concerns about maintaining Israel’s military position.
In July, he reportedly told hostage families, “If we give up on victory over Hamas, we are all in danger,” according to a recording obtained by the WSJ.
After Witkoff’s meeting with Netanyahu, Trump claimed on Truth Social that Arab officials observed he had more influence on Netanyahu in one meeting than Biden had over the past year.
Witkoff reportedly alleviated concerns from Hamas that the IDF would resume fighting after the release of hostages in the agreement’s first phase. “If everyone abides by the agreement, then Trump would encourage meaningful negotiations in Phase 2,” a source said.
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