Benjamin Netanyahu's Dilemma: Tariffs and Hostages

Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington once again to meet with President Trump. This time, the Israeli Prime Minister has a lot on his plate. One of the main topics of discussion will be the Israeli hostages still held in Gaza. It has been a year and a half since the war in Gaza started. This war began after a deadly attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Since then, Israel has been trying to put pressure on Hamas to release all hostages and eventually get rid of the militant group. Netanyahu is facing a lot of pressure back home. Former security chiefs, protesters, and families of the hostages are pushing him to restart ceasefire talks. However, his far-right coalition is not on board with this idea. During Netanyahu's last visit to Washington in February, Trump had an interesting suggestion. He proposed that the United States should take control of the Gaza Strip, move the Palestinians out, and turn it into a "riviera of the Middle East". This idea has not been officially discussed since then. The Trump administration has also imposed 17% tariffs on Israel as part of new trade measures. This is another topic that Netanyahu and Trump will likely discuss. The tariffs are part of a broader set of trade measures affecting many countries. Israel's government says it is trying to increase pressure on Hamas. However, human rights groups and the United Nations have criticized Israel's actions. They say that the blockade on aid and goods into Gaza violates international law. The blockade has been in place for five weeks now. The conflict has been deadly. Hamas' 2023 attack killed nearly 1, 200 people in Israel and took 251 hostage. Israel's military response has been even more devastating. More than 50, 750 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. In one recent incident, an Israeli airstrike hit a tent where journalists were sheltering. Two people were killed, and nine others were injured. The Israeli military said it was targeting a member of Hamas. However, they did not name the people who were killed. Violence has also continued in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. A Palestinian U. S. citizen was killed by Israeli forces this weekend. The incident happened in the village of Turmus Ayya. The Israeli military said it opened fire on three people who were throwing rocks at a highway. They said they killed one and injured two others. West Bank health officials said that 14-year-old Palestinian American Amer Rabie was killed. Another U. S. citizen was injured. The United Nations humanitarian office said that Israeli forces had killed almost 100 Palestinians in the West Bank this year.