Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is en route to Florida for a high-stakes meeting with US President Donald Trump at the Mar-a-Lago estate, with the future of three active conflict zones in the Middle East set to dominate discussions.
The Gaza Demilitarisation Stalemate
The White House is anticipated to seek clarity on the next phase of President Trump's peace plan for Gaza. This plan reportedly involves establishing a Palestinian technocratic government and demilitarising the territory through an international stabilisation force composed of foreign troops.
Israel has indicated that three countries, including Indonesia, are prepared to deploy troops to Gaza. However, Netanyahu is widely expected to stall on full demilitarisation and reject any proposals to disarm Hamas that do not include a central role for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).
In a telling statement ahead of the meeting, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz declared regarding Gaza's future: "We are deep inside Gaza and we will never leave Gaza, there will be no such thing. We're there to defend, to prevent what happened in the past."
Despite a ceasefire that began on 10 October 2025, violence has persisted. The Gaza health ministry reports that more than 400 people have been killed and at least 1,000 injured since the truce started.
Iran's Nuclear Programme and Southern Lebanon Strikes
Netanyahu is also expected to push for more aggressive strikes against Iran, arguing that its nuclear programme remains an urgent threat that must be addressed. This stance may clash with President Trump's foreign policy priorities, especially following his decisive role in ending a 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June.
The situation in Lebanon forms the third critical front. Israel has not fully upheld its ceasefire commitments and has continued bombing campaigns in southern Lebanon, with strikes even reaching the capital, Beirut.
According to Israel's Channel 13, Netanyahu will present Trump with intelligence briefings aimed at expanding operations against the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. This suggests a potential escalation along Israel's northern border.
A Pivotal Moment for Regional Stability
The outcome of this meeting at Mar-a-Lago could significantly shape the immediate future of the Middle East. The central question is how President Trump will respond to Prime Minister Netanyahu's apparent determination to continue and potentially widen Israel's military efforts across multiple fronts.
The discussions will need to navigate complex tensions: between Trump's own peace vision for Gaza and Netanyahu's security demands, between the desire to contain Iran and the risks of escalation, and between maintaining calm with Lebanon and confronting Hezbollah. The direction set in Florida will have profound consequences for regional stability and US-Israeli relations.
