Netanyahu denies claims he and Trump were ‘butting heads’ over peace deal
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied the allegations, calling them “fake spins” of his meeting with President Donald Trump, in an interview with “Special Report” on Tuesday evening.
Netanyahu spoke with “Special Report” editor-in-chief Bret Baier after meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Monday to discuss plans to implement the second phase of the Gaza peace deal.
Although Netanyahu acknowledged the difficulty of implementing the second phase, he denied reports that he and Trump had “collided” over the issue.
NETANYAHU DISCUSSES TRUMP’S 21-POINT PEACE PLAN, CALLS TOP PRIORITIES FOR THE RELEASE OF HOSTAGES AND RESETTLEMENT OF HAMAS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sat down for an interview with Bret Baier on Fox News’ “Special Report.” (Fox News)
“He started following,” Netanyahu said. “He said, ‘Look, skip all this press stuff.’ I mean, the truth is, you have to disarm Hamas. You know, he hit the nail on the head.”
When Baier brought up Trump’s statement to the press on Monday that he disagreed with Netanyahu on issues related to the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the Israeli leader insisted that they both agreed on the desire for peace in the region.
“I think there is daylight now because we both want to see a future where this region is not used for terrorist attacks,” Netanyahu said. “We’ve done a lot of things on this issue. We also want to build a lot of infrastructure there. Both for ourselves and for our Palestinian neighbors, I think there’s a lot of room to talk about this.”
He added that his main takeaway from the meeting was the reassuring strength and alliance between Israel and the United States.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU WILL MEET WITH FOX NEWS’ BRET BAIER ABOUT ISRAEL’S CONFLICT WITH IRAN
President Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago on December 29, 2025. Here, tensions with Iran and the next steps in the Gaza peace plan were discussed. (Israeli Government Press Office)
Netanyahu said, “Israel emerged from the seven-front war that was drawn upon us as the most powerful country in the Middle East. But part of this is the tremendous alliance we have established with President Trump.” he said. “This is a partnership of like-minded people and leaders. And I’m so grateful to President Trump for his support.”
The war in Gaza lasted nearly two years and resulted in an estimated tens of thousands of deaths after Hamas terrorists attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking nearly 240 hostages. Israel and Hamas reached a groundbreaking peace deal after months of mediation by Trump administration officials.
As part of the first phase of the peace agreement, Hamas released the last 20 surviving hostages in exchange for Israel releasing 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE NEWS ON MEDIA AND CULTURE
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied there was any tension between him and President Donald Trump. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
In Tuesday’s interview, Netanyahu also told Baier that he believes a stabilized Gaza government in the new year is “possible” if Hamas commits to disarming it.
“[I]If we disarm Hamas, whether with an international force or some other means, yes, I see a different future for Gaza,” Netanyahu said. “And that’s the only step left. Everyone understands this. I think Hamas understands this. That’s why they don’t want to do it. Because, as you know, the purpose here is not to negotiate with Hamas. That’s not the point. Their job is to disappear, to stop, no more. And you know who wants it more than anyone else? People of Gaza.”
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
Following their meeting on Monday, Netanyahu informed the press that Trump would receive the Israel Prize, the country’s highest cultural honor, making Trump the first non-Israeli citizen in almost 80 years.
Fox News’ Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
