Sources told the Times of Israel that Trump first made the comment when Netanyahu visited Trump at his Florida Mar-a-Lago resort in July following the assassination attempt on the former president.
Trump has publicly confirmed that he told the Israeli premiere that he wants Israel to win the war quickly, but this is the first time it was revealed that there was a timeline as part of the request.
One of the outlet’s sources, a former US official, noted that Trump was not specific about details regarding the end of the war and that the former president could support “residual” IDF operations in Gaza.
A lawmaker from Netanyahu’s opposition told the outlet on condition of anonymity that if the the war continues past the January 20 inauguration, it would upset Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, if she were to win the election. Harris has been critical of Israel's response to the Oct. 7 massacre.
Netanyahu has emphasized that Israel will maintain security control of Gaza after the war. Other Israeli officials have discussed that the IDF needs to maintain a buffer zone inside Gaza and be able to re-enter areas if it detects Hamas trying to regroup.
On Monday, in a recording from a Likud meeting obtained by the outlet, Netanyahu said Israel isn’t in a position to conclude the conflict yet. Over 101 hostages, including Americans, remain in Hamas captivity and the terrorist organization has rejected many hostage deals since November 2023.
The US official stressed that Trump wants Israel to have Gaza secured and see the return of the hostages. Trump and Netanyahu have reportedly spoken several times since their July meeting, including two days in a row last week.
Trump previously criticized President Joe Biden for restricting Israel's actions against potential targets, most recently in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack against the Jewish state on October 1.
During the Republican National Convention in July, Trump warned that those holding American hostages will “pay a very big price” if they aren’t released before he is sworn into office.
