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As they discussed the tensions in the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump presented a united front and praised one another.

Netanyahu met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Monday, marking his fifth trip to the United States since his January inauguration.

As the two leaders addressed Gaza and Iran, two of the most pressing issues in the Middle East, their reciprocal flattery turned into geopolitical alignment.

Trump disputed the Israeli ceasefire violations, which Israel claimed were occurring frequently in Gaza.

What can we learn from the meeting on Monday?

Trump insists that Hamas needs to disarm.

Trump made a strong threat to the Palestinian organization by insisting that Hamas must disarm both before and after his meeting with Netanyahu.

Trump responded, “It would be horrible for them, horrible, and what would happen if Hamas refused to give up its weapons.” It will be extremely detrimental to them.

The second phase of the ceasefire, which would see the establishment of a technocratic Palestinian administration and the deployment of an international police force, was Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, last week.

Trump, however, kept his attention on Hamas and reiterated that other nations have offered to “wipe them out” if the organization refused to give up its weapons on Monday.

Despite residents of Gaza who suffer deadly weather conditions in makeshift tents, Israel has killed 414 Palestinians since the ceasefire’s onset in October. It also continues to impede the flow of international aid into the area.

Trump, however, asserted that Israel is “100 percent” upholding its obligations under the agreement.

He told reporters, “I’m not worried about anything Israel is doing.”

Iran is threatened by the US.

Trump suggested that if Iran rebuilt its nuclear arsenal or missile arsenal, Washington would launch additional military exercises against it.

The president repeatedly argued that the US airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities in June, which had sparked the ceasefire in Gaza, were the result of a misunderstanding.

Trump said, “I’ve heard that Iran is trying to grow up again, and if they do, we have to knock them down.”

We’ll knock them down,” the leader says. We’ll kill them in the end. But ideally, that won’t occur.

Iran’s missile program should be addressed before it poses a threat to Israel, according to Israeli officials and their US allies recently.

When Trump questioned whether the US would support an Israeli missile attack against Iran, Trump responded, “Yes, if they will continue with the missiles.” The nuclear ? Fast . OK? One will be: Definitely, yes. The other is “We’ll do it right away.”

Iran has ruled out engaging in negotiations regarding its missile program and has denied building nuclear weapons.

Despite this, it is widely believed that Israel has an unproven nuclear arsenal.

Bromance festival

US media reports have suggested that Netanyahu, first Joe Biden, then Trump, was angry or frustrated with Israel’s genocidal war that began in the early days of the country’s occupation of Gaza.

However, there has never been a pause in US military and diplomatic support for Israel.

Similar rumors about a potential rift between Netanyahu and Trump surfaced prior to Netanyahu’s visit.

The two leaders put on a brotherly romance show on Monday, though.

Netanyahu was referred to as a “hero” by Trump, citing Israel’s potential inalienability without his leadership during the war.

Trump told Netanyahu, “We’re with you, and we’ll continue to be with you, and there are many positive things happening in the Middle East.”

“We want to try to keep the Middle East peace, and we want to keep it that way.” I believe we will be able to maintain that balance very successfully. You’ve also been a wonderful friend.

The US president also praised his efforts to appoint a pardon for Israeli-charged corruption officials in Israel.

The Israeli prime minister announced that the US president would receive the Israel Prize, which is typically awarded to Israelis.

Netanyahu said, “I have to say that this reflects the overwhelming sentiment of Israelis across the board.”

They appreciate your efforts to support Israel and to advance our shared struggle against terrorists and those who threaten our civilization.

Not surprisingly, Netanyahu has not received a pardon.

Trump calls for a rapprochement between Israel and Syria.

Syria was a region where Trump made an apparent press attempt on Netanyahu.

Trump praised Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and said that Netanyahu is “going to get along” with Syria.

Israel has occupied southern Syria more than the Golan Heights, occupying significant portions of Jabal al-Sheikh, since Bashar al-Assad’s regime was ousted last year. According to reports, the Israeli military has been conducting raids in the area, abducting and disappearing.

The new Syrian government has resisted engaging in conflict with Israel, but negotiations to reach a security deal between the two nations have stalled.

Trump claimed that “we do understand Syria.” You now have a new president with Syria. I have faith in him. You need a strong man like him in Syria.

Netanyahu refused to support Israel’s strategy for Syria.

He stated that “our goal is to have a peaceful border with Syria.” We want to prevent terrorist attacks and terrorist attacks from occurring in the border region directly adjacent to our border.

We’ll see if there is a new Lebanon war.

Israel has increased its attacks on Lebanon since the start of the Gaza truce, raising concerns that it may rekindle its full-fledged conflict there.

Hezbollah was declared to be disarmed by the Lebanese government earlier this year, but the organization vowed to keep its weapons in place to protect Israel.

Trump did not foresee a new Lebanon conflict on Monday.

When asked if he would support additional Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, the president responded, “We’ll see about it.”

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, refutes Russia’s claim that Vladimir Putin targeted his country’s residence.

Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, claimed on Monday that 91 long-range strike drones were used in an attack on Putin’s residence in Novgorod, northwest of Russia.

No one was hurt, Lavrov claimed, adding that the aerial attack was downed by air defense systems.

The strike occurred on Sunday, according to Yury Ushakov, a Kremlin aide who spoke with the Kremlin about Russia’s nuclear negotiations in Florida.

Zelenskyy quickly refuted Moscow’s assertion and claimed that Russia was trying to thwart the peace talks.

Andrii Sybiha, the foreign affairs minister of Ukraine, said the accusations were meant to derail the negotiations.

In a post on X, Sybiha claimed that the claim was intended to “create a pretext and false justification for Russia’s continued attacks against Ukraine, as well as undermine and impede the peace process.”

Russia reiterated its intention to reevaluate its negotiating strategy in light of the alleged attack, with Maria Zakharova, a spokesman for the ministry of foreign affairs, warning that Moscow’s response “would not be diplomatic.”

Later on Monday, Trump claimed that Putin had called him and that Ukraine had attempted to attack the Russian president’s residence.

Trump claimed Putin made the claim during a call with reporters.

“I dislike it,” I said. When Trump was questioned about how the claim might impact his efforts to put an end to the Ukrainian conflict, Trump responded, “It’s not good.” President Putin told me about it today. I felt a lot of anger for it.

When Trump was asked whether the allegations supported any particulars, he responded, “We’ll find out.”

Peace negotiations are stifled.

The developments come as Ukraine’s fourth-year full-scale invasion by Russia approaches.

A 20-point peace plan, according to Zelenskyy, is “90 percent agreed” and security guarantees between the US and Ukraine are “100 percent agreed.”

However, significant issues remain regarding the future of Russian-occupied territory in the east of Ukraine.

Zelenskyy has repeatedly stated that the Ukrainian people should decide the matter, suggesting that various aspects of any deal could be decided by referendum.

Following the talks in Florida on Sunday, both Trump and Zelenskyy have hoped a peace agreement might come to an end.

Zelenskyy outlined his phone calls with the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the Latvian president Edgars Rinkevics, and the Finnish president Alexander Stubb, updating them on the status of their communications.

As Trump pressures him to reach an agreement to end the war, he has sought to balance his dealings with his allies in Europe and the US.

On the front line, fighting continues.

Meanwhile, fighting persisted on numerous fronts in Ukraine, with the Russian army claiming that its forces had taken the village of Dibrova in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

According to regional governor Ivan Fedorov, at least one civilian was killed and another injured in the southeast of the Zaporizhia region when the Russians attacked the city of Orikhiv. He claimed a 46-year-old man was killed and a 49-year-old woman was hurt when Russian-guided aerial bombs struck the front-line city.

Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported that three people had been injured by Russian shelling in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine over the past 24 hours. He claimed that a 73-year-old woman was hurt in the Hroza village, a 54-year-old woman in Zolochiv, and a 73-year-old man from Novoplatonivka.

Russia asserted that its forces were strengthening or expanding positions in various regions, including Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Kherson, and Sumy.

Since the start of the day, 89 combat engagements have been recorded along the front lines, according to the general staff of Ukraine. According to an operational update released by Ukrinform on Monday, Russian forces were focused on the Pokrovsk sector, with fighting still taking place in six different sectors.

On Monday, Saint-Tropez residents paid tribute to French icon Brigitte Bardot outside her home, one day after the actress passed away at the age of 91. Local authorities announced that the actress-turned-far-right agitator would be interred in a cemetery close to the southern town.

In coastal cities, Alawite protesters confront government supporters.

President Trump claimed he wanted to “quickly” enter the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, but that Hamas’ disarmament was the main issue. He stated that soon work would be done on reconstructing Gaza, adding that the area is “a tough neighbourhood.”