President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu are meeting at the White House and holding a joint press conference Tuesday, the first foreign leader visit of Mr. Trump’s second term.
The ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, brokered in part by the U.S., is in its second phase, with hostages still remaining in Gaza. Dual citizen Keith Siegal was the first American to be released during the ceasefire and hostage deal’s implementation, although other Americans have been released before.
On Sunday, Netanyahu said he will discuss “victory over Hamas” with Mr. Trump, as well as countering Iran and building on diplomatic relationships with Arab nations. Hamas has reestablished control in Gaza since the ceasefire began, and says it won’t return more hostages without a full withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Mr. Trump told reporters on Monday that he has “no guarantees that the peace is going to hold.”
The president’s meeting with Netanyahu being his first with a foreign leader signals how the Trump White House views the U.S.-Israel relationship.
“Trump is going to continue his support for our great ally, Israel,” national security adviser Mike Waltz said on Fox News Tuesday. “No one did more for Israel as President Trump did in his first term. It is not by accident that Bibi Netanyahu, the prime minister is of Israel, is the first foreign leader that is coming today. And look, we’re going to continue to get our hostages out.”
Waltz said the U.S. and Israel have “more to go” in terms of returning Americans held hostage. And the national security adviser said the U.S. has to think “realistically” about rebuilding Gaza.
“I would push back on the characterization of cleaning out Gaza,” Waltz told reporters Tuesday. “think President Trump is looking at this from a humanitarian standpoint. You have these people that are sitting with literally thousands of unexploded ordnance and piles of rubble. You know, at some point we have to look realistically. How do you rebuild Gaza? What does that look like? What’s the timeline? I think we, a lot of people, were looking at very unrealistic timelines. We’re talking 10, 15, years, not the five years. And so that is what, that’s what we have to work through. That’s part of what we’ll work through with Prime Minister Netanyahu.”
Netanyahu last met with Mr. Trump in July at his Mar-a-Lago estate in West Palm Beach, Florida, while Mr. Trump was still a presidential candidate.
Alex Brandon / AP
Netanyahu congratulated former President Joe Biden on his win in 2020, something that Mr. Trump long held against him. But the two have worked to repair the relationship in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
How to watch the Trump-Netanyahu press conference
- What: President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu hold a joint press conference
- Date: Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025
- Time: 5:10 p.m. or later
- Location: White House
- On TV: Live on CBS television stations. Find your local station here.
- Online stream: Live on CBS News 24/7 in the player above and on your mobile or streaming device.
