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israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu In an interview with “Special Report” Tuesday night, he dismissed what he called a “false account” of a meeting with President Donald Trump.
Netanyahu after an interview with Special Report executive editor Bret Baier Meeting with Trump Plans to implement the second phase of the Gaza peace deal were discussed at Mar-a-Lago on Monday.
While Netanyahu acknowledged the difficulties of implementing phase two, he denied reports that he and Trump “clashed” over the issue.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was interviewed by Bret Baier on Fox News’ “Special Report.” (Fox News)
“He got right to the point,” Netanyahu said. “He said, ‘Listen, skip all these news reports.’ I mean, the real thing is, you have to disarm Hamas. You know, he just hit the nail on the head.”
When Baier on Monday referred to Trump’s comments to the media that he disagreed with Netanyahu on the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the Israeli leader insisted they both shared a desire for peace in the region.
“I think there’s a lot of light because I think we all want to see a future where the territory is not used for terrorist attacks,” Netanyahu said. “We’re doing a lot on that. We also want to build a lot of infrastructure there. Whether it’s for us or our Palestinian neighbors, I think there’s a lot of room for discussion.”
He added that the main takeaway from the meeting was the reassuring strength and alliance between Israel and the United States
Benjamin Netanyahu to sit down with Fox News’ Bret Baier to discuss Israel’s conflict with Iran
President Donald Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago on December 29, 2025, during a meeting that focused on tensions with Iran and next steps for the Gaza peace plan. (Israeli Government Information Office)
“Israel emerged from the seven-front war as the most powerful country in the Middle East. But part of that was our great alliance with President Trump,” Netanyahu said. “This is a partnership of like-minded people and leaders. I’m so grateful for the support President Trump has given us.”
On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists attacked southern Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostages. The war in Gaza lasted for nearly two years, with an estimated tens of thousands of deaths. After months of mediation by Trump administration officials, Israel and Hamas have reached a breakthrough peace deal.
As part of the first phase of the peace deal, Hamas released the last 20 hostages in exchange for Israel releasing 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denies any tension between himself and President Donald Trump. (Joe Reddell/Getty Images)
In the interview on Tuesday, Netanyahu also told Bair that he believed it was “possible” to establish a stable Gaza government in the new year as long as Hamas committed to disarmament.
“If we disarm Hamas, whether it’s through international forces or any other means, yes, I will see a different future for Gaza,” Netanyahu said. “This is the remaining step. Everybody understands that. I think Hamas understands that. That’s why they don’t want to do it. Because, you know, the point here is not to negotiate with Hamas. That’s not their job. Their job is to disappear, to stop, that’s it. You know who wants it more than anyone else? The people of Gaza.”
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After Monday’s meeting, Netanyahu told the media that Trump would accept The country’s highest cultural honorThe Israel Prize makes Trump the first non-Israeli citizen to win the award in nearly 80 years.
Fox News’ Greg Weiner contributed to this report.
