Trump and Netanyahu to meet at Mar-a-Lago to push Gaza ceasefire's complex second phase

A meeting is scheduled between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for Monday, as Washington wants to create a new momentum for a US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, which is in danger of stalling out before a complicated second phase.

The meeting is set to take place at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where he is expected to leverage his strong relationship with Netanyahu, who has been accused of not pushing for the process to move quickly enough.

Trump's initial ceasefire attempt between Israel and Hamas has held chiefly, but progress has slowed recently. Although both sides accuse each other of violating the ceasefire, international pressure is largely directed at Tel Aviv. There are also divisions among the US, Israel and Arab countries about the path forward.

The first phase of this initiative began in October, around the second anniversary of the Hamas-led October 7 attack. The second phase involves Trump’s 20-point plan, which is far more complex. The plan, already approved by the UN Security Council, lays out an ambitious vision for ending Hamas’ rule of Gaza.

Non-Gaza topics, including Iran, could also be on the discussion list. Trump continues to insist Tehran's nuclear capabilities were “completely and fully obliterated” following US strikes on its nuclear sites in June. However, Netanyahu insists the threat remains and pushes for more strikes.

Why is the second phase complex?

The second phase envisions the rebuilding of a demilitarised Gaza under international supervision by a group chaired by Trump and known as the 'Board of Peace.'

The Palestinians would form a “technocratic, apolitical” committee to run daily affairs in Gaza, under the Board of Peace supervision.

It further calls for normalised relations between Israel and the Arab world, and a possible pathway to Palestinian independence. However, there are difficult logistical and humanitarian questions, including rebuilding war-ravaged Gaza, disarming Hamas and creating a security apparatus called the 'International Stabilisation Force.'

The Board of Peace would oversee Gaza’s reconstruction under a two-year, renewable UN mandate. Its members were expected to be named by the end of the year and might be revealed after Monday's meeting, but the announcement could be pushed to next month.

Their latest meeting comes after US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, recently gathered in Florida with officials from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, which have been mediating the ceasefire.

Netanyahu was the first foreign leader to meet Trump at the White House during Trump's second term, but this will be their first in-person meeting since Trump travelled to Israel in October to mark the beginning of the ceasefire's initial phase.

Netanyahu has visited Mar-a-Lago before, including in July 2024 when Trump was still seeking re-election.