In a tense 40-minute phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, US President Donald Trump told the premier he must permanently end the war in the Gaza Strip, Israeli television reported Tuesday.

Trump reportedly told Netanyahu that the so-called “Witkoff framework,” which would pause the war for some 60 days in exchange for about half of the hostages held by Hamas, will not suffice.

Netanyahu has so far refused to negotiate a Gaza truce-hostage deal that would permanently end the fighting in the Strip — a red line for him and his far-right coalition partners.

The US president reportedly told Netanyahu that ending the war in Gaza would help with both the administration’s ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran and normalization talks with Saudi Arabia.

Trump also ruled out an attack on Iran as the White House seeks to rein in Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, according to the reports.

The reports by Channel 12 and the Kan public broadcaster, which quoted the English-language conversation in Hebrew, came as Trump told US media that the Iranians had become “much more aggressive” in the talks.

Meanwhile, the top US military commander in the Middle East said he has provided Trump and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with “a wide range of options” for preventing Iran from attaining nuclear arms should talks with Tehran fall through.

Channel 12 reported that there would be no discussions on a strike against Iran until Trump determines that the nuclear talks have failed. The network also cited two sources familiar with the phone call as saying Netanyahu did not receive a clear answer from Trump as to whether the US would give Israel a green light to act alone against Iran, or whether Washington would want to participate in or lead a strike.

According to the network, Trump said he has not completed his efforts in the US-Iran nuclear talks, adding that despite his disapproval of Iran’s latest offer, the door on negotiations has not closed.

Netanyahu replied that a “credible military........

© The Times of Israel