TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the decisions made during the Gaza war have already changed the face of the Middle East, adding that his alliance with US President Donald Trump will allow Israel to redraw the map even further.
Netanyahu departed for Washington to meet President Trump on Tuesday. Speaking at the airport before his departure for Washington, Netanyahu said, “The decisions we made in the war have already changed the face of the Middle East. Our decisions have redrawn the map. But I believe that working closely with President Trump, we can redraw it even further.”
The decisions we made in the war have already changed the face of the Middle East. Our decisions and the courage of our soldiers have redrawn the map. But I believe that working closely with President Trump, we can redraw it even further and for the better. pic.twitter.com/jhzCN2I9eO
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) February 2, 2025
Netanyahu’s visit marks the first by a foreign leader since Trump’s return to the White House. The two leaders are expected to discuss the war in Gaza, the ceasefire deal with Hamas, and regional developments.
Netanyahu’s trip comes as a six-week ceasefire in Gaza remains in place, with negotiations for a second phase expected to begin next week.
ICC arrest warrants against Netanyahu
The Israeli leader is facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the relentless Israeli war on Gaza. He is seeking to bolster his international standing by securing Trump’s support.
I’m leaving for a very important meeting with @realDonaldTrump in Washington.
The fact that this would be President Trump’s first meeting with a foreign leader since his inauguration is telling.
I think it’s a testimony to the strength of the Israeli-American alliance. It’s… pic.twitter.com/wWYrC7mYrF
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) February 2, 2025
Trump’s administration has taken a strong pro-Israel stance, and his new team includes figures expected to back the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Trump has also criticised the ICC and dismissed allegations against Netanyahu.
Talks are also expected on Iran, with Netanyahu and Trump both opposing Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. In 2018, Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal.
Israel’s military actions
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has launched a relentless bombardment campaign on Gaza following Hamas’s unprecedented attack. During the more than 15 months of war, Israeli bombardments have killed over 47,300 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
Israel is facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In December 2023, South Africa instituted proceedings against Israel, claiming violations of the Genocide Convention in relation to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Several countries have since joined the case, including Nicaragua, Colombia, Cuba, Libya, Mexico, Palestine, Spain, and Turkey.
On October 1, 2024, Israel invaded Lebanon. In December 2024, Israel seized territory in Syrian-controlled areas of the Golan Heights. Netanyahu had ordered Israeli forces to grab a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established by a 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria.
—Photo from Social media
Meanwhile, Trump has suggested that Gaza’s Palestinian population should be relocated to Jordan and Egypt, a proposal widely rejected across the region.
