Trump presses Netanyahu to advance Gaza reconstruction plan

US President Donald Trump urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a Thursday phone call to advance a Gaza reconstruction plan following Israel's recent parliamentary elections, pressing for progress on administrative transfer and security arrangements regardless of which government takes office, Israeli media reported.

Post-election pressure

The conversation included US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump's envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, with the participants also addressing the conflict with Iran, according to Channel 12. Trump specifically requested movement on a proposal that would transfer Gaza's administration to a Palestinian technocratic committee, place weapons under international supervision, and initiate a phased Israeli withdrawal paired with reconstruction efforts. Implementation had remained largely frozen for months amid Israel's election campaign, as Washington sought to avoid turning the issue into a politically sensitive matter.

Washington's conditions

A senior US official said the Trump administration now expects Israel to approve steps that had been delayed for domestic political reasons. "We want to move forward cooperatively, and we need full cooperation and full partnership from the Israeli government," the official said. The reconstruction process would not begin without progress toward disarming Hamas and would proceed gradually subject to verification, the official added.

Diplomatic context

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, a senior member of Trump's Board of Peace, visited Israel on Friday and met with Netanyahu and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to encourage support for the plan. The first phase of Trump's Gaza plan, announced in 2025, included a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, while the second phase envisages deploying an international stabilization force alongside the administrative committee. Since October 2023, the Israeli army has killed more than 74,000 people and injured over 175,000 in a deadly assault that has left the territory in ruins. The latest US push comes as Israel faces uncertainty over government formation following its Oct. 27 parliamentary elections.