Trump insists Netanyahu relationship ‘very good’ despite Gaza rift

President Donald Trump affirmed on Monday that his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains "very good," despite Netanyahu's rejection of a US-led Gaza plan. The US president made this statement during an Oval Office event in response to a journalist's shouted question.

Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, explicitly stated on Sunday that he opposed the Gaza plan, which called for Israel to withdraw forces and for Hamas to disarm. Recent polls indicate that Netanyahu is either tied or trailing in the polls ahead of the country's upcoming elections on October 27, marking the first elections since a devastating Hamas attack in 2023.

The Gaza plan, which was part of a US-brokered ceasefire announced in October, aimed to reduce but not end Israeli operations in Gaza. Since the ceasefire, Israeli operations in Gaza have resulted in over 1,250 Palestinian deaths, according to figures provided by the territory's health ministry, which operates under Hamas' authority and is considered reliable by the United Nations. Israeli forces have reported five deaths during the same period.