The White House says Donald Trump’s “utmost priority” in the Middle East is to end the conflict in Gaza. But as the United States president hosts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week, the two leaders have heaped praise on each other, Al Jazeera reports.
Analysts say that if Trump is truly seeking a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, he must leverage US military aid to Israel to pressure Netanyahu to agree to a deal.
Brian Finucane, a senior adviser with the International Crisis Group nonprofit, drew a parallel between Trump’s mixed messaging and that of his predecessor, Joe Biden. Both men, he said, called for a ceasefire but showed unwillingness to press Israel to end the fighting.
“It’s like deja vu with the Biden administration, where you would hear similar pronouncements from the White House,” said Finucane. “If a ceasefire is indeed the ‘utmost priority’ of the White House, it has the leverage to bring it about.”
Read the full Al Jazeera story here.