Trump insists Netanyahu relationship 'very good' despite Gaza rift

President Donald Trump said on Monday that his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains "very good," despite Netanyahu's rejection of a US-led Gaza plan. Trump made the comment at the end of an Oval Office event, responding to a shouted question from a journalist, as tensions between the two leaders grow ahead of Israeli elections.

How is the relationship between Trump and Netanyahu?

Trump insists the relationship is strong, telling reporters, "the relationship is very good," even as Netanyahu publicly opposed his Gaza plan. The comment followed more than a week of escalating friction between the two leaders, as Netanyahu faces pressure from his right-wing base ahead of Israel's October 27 elections.

Why did Netanyahu reject Trump's Gaza plan?

Netanyahu explicitly stated on Sunday that he opposed the Gaza plan, which called for Israel to begin pulling back forces as Hamas disarmed. He is Israel's longest-serving leader and is running even or trailing in some polls ahead of the vote, the country's first since Hamas's 2023 attack triggered the Gaza war. Polls show the plan is unpopular with his right-wing base, and far-right members of his cabinet had urged him to kill it. Netanyahu had, until recently, campaigned on the strength of his ties with Trump, who has taken unprecedented steps to back Israel, including moving the US embassy to Jerusalem.

What is Trump's Gaza peace plan?

The Gaza plan is the latest stage of a US-brokered ceasefire announced in October that has reduced, but not ended, Israeli operations in the territory. Trump joined Netanyahu in late February in launching a war against Iran, but the two diverged when Trump pushed for a ceasefire and subsequent settlement as the conflict sapped his popularity and sent oil prices soaring. Israeli operations in Gaza have killed more than 1,250 Palestinians since the October ceasefire, according to the territory's health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority and whose figures the United Nations considers reliable. The Israeli army has reported five deaths in its ranks over the same period.