Israel’s strategic affairs minister meets with Trump

Israeli minister of strategic affairs Ron Dermer met with US president-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Axios reported on Monday, citing two Israeli officials and two US officials.

The Sunday meeting at Trump's Florida estate between the president-elect and Dermer, a close aide of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, preceded a meeting between the Israeli minister and US secretary of state Antony Blinken on Monday.

Axios reported Dermer passed messages from Netanyahu to Trump. He also briefed Trump on Israel's plans for Gaza, Lebanon and Iran for the next two months before Trump takes office, according to the report.

Axios said Dermer also met with Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who was a top adviser on the Middle East during Trump's 2017-2021 administration.

Netanyahu said on Sunday he had spoken to Trump three times in the few days before to tighten the alliance between Israel and the US.

Hopes for a truce in Israel's war in Gaza suffered a setback, with Qatar suspending its role as a mediator in negotiations. Israel separately said on Monday there was progress in talks about a ceasefire in its war in Lebanon.

Some analysts said Democratic President Joe Biden's administration may no longer have enough leverage to get agreement on ceasefires between Israel and its foes after Trump won the US presidential election. He is set to take office on January 20.

The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on October 7 2023 when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent assault on Gaza has killed more than 43,000, according to Gaza's health ministry.

Israel's separate military operations in Lebanon have killed more than 3,000 and displaced more than a million. Israel said it is targeting Lebanese Hezbollah militants.

Reuters