U.S. President Donald Trump said he personally intervened to halt Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military campaign in Gaza, claiming that Israel was “becoming very unpopular” internationally and risked isolation. Trump told Time in an interview that he said to Netanyahu: “Bibi, you can’t fight the world. You can fight individual battles, but the world’s against you. And Israel is a very small place compared to the world.” Trump emphasized that he pressured Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire deal that included the release of hostages.
The President described Netanyahu as facing global pushback. “He had to stop because the world was going to stop him,” Trump said, portraying his own role as decisive in bringing the conflict to an end.
Trump also issued a warning against Israeli annexation of the West Bank, saying he gave his “word to the Arab countries” that such a move would not happen. “Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened,” he declared.
