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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed what he called “fake manipulations” of his meeting with President Donald Trump during an interview on “Special Report” Tuesday night.
Netanyahu spoke with Special Report editor Bret Baier after meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Monday to discuss plans to implement the second phase of the Gaza peace agreement.
Although he acknowledged the difficulty of implementing the second phase, Netanyahu denied reports that he and Trump were “clashing” over the issue.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sat down for an interview on Fox News’ “Special Report” with Bret Baier. (Fox News)
“He got straight to the point,” Netanyahu said. “He said, ‘Look, forget all this press stuff.’ I mean, the real thing is that Hamas needs to disarm. He just hit the nail on the head, you know.”
When Baier brought up Trump by telling reporters Monday that he disagreed with Netanyahu on issues regarding 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 a lot of daylight, because I think we both want to see a future in which this territory is not used for terrorist attacks,” Netanyahu said. “We’ve done a lot of things in that regard. We also want to build a lot of infrastructure there. Both for us and for our Palestinian neighbors, and I think there’s a lot of room to talk about that.”
He added that his main takeaway from the meeting was the reassuring strength and alliance between Israel and the United States.
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President Donald Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago on December 29, 2025, where discussions focused on Iranian tensions and next steps in the Gaza peace plan. (Israeli Government Press Office)
“Israel emerged from the seven-front war that was imposed on us as the most powerful country in the Middle East. But part of that is because of the formidable alliance we have with President Trump,” Netanyahu said. “It’s a partnership of like-minded people and leaders. And I’m very grateful to President Trump for his support.”
After Hamas terrorists attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostages, the war in Gaza dragged on for nearly two years, leaving tens of thousands dead. Israel and Hamas have reached a landmark peace deal after months of mediation by Trump administration officials.
As part of the first phase of the peace deal, Hamas released the last 20 living hostages in exchange for Israel’s release of 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied any tension between him and President Donald Trump. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
During Tuesday’s interview, Netanyahu also told Baier that he believed a stabilized Gaza government was “possible” in the new year, provided Hamas commits to disarming.
“[I]If we disarm Hamas, whether with an international force or by any other means, yes, I see a different future for Gaza,” Netanyahu said. “And that is 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, this is not about negotiating with Hamas. It’s not work. Their job is to disappear, to stop, nothing more. And you know who wants it more than anyone else? The people of Gaza. »
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After their meeting on Monday, Netanyahu informed the press that Trump would receive the the highest cultural distinction in the countrythe Israel Prize, making Trump the first non-Israeli citizen to receive it in nearly 80 years.
Greg Wehner of Fox News contributed to this report.
