Concern is growing in Israel that US President Donald Trump may force the Israeli prime minister and his government into an imminent agreement on the Gaza Strip, even if it is unsatisfactory to Tel Aviv. Trump may even turn his back on Israel on other issues. Concerns about US pressure have increased following the agreement to activate a new humanitarian aid mechanism for the Gaza Strip.

Official Israeli sources confirmed to various local media outlets that the US administration is exerting significant pressure on Israel to conclude an agreement with Hamas before Trump's expected visit to the Middle East in mid-May, warning that the price will be high if Israel does not end the war.

Israel's Army Radio said Trump was angry because he believed Netanyahu was "playing him." Most Israeli media outlets focused on Saturday on Trump's remarks that the fighting in Gaza was complex and had been going on for 1,000 years, while US envoy Steve Witkoff expanded his team of advisors for the "day after" talks in the Gaza Strip.

Yedioth Ahronoth and Channel 12 quoted the Wall Street Journal as saying that Trump, speaking to donors in Florida last week, acknowledged his growing frustration over the failure to end the war in the Gaza Strip, which poses a major challenge to him, saying that it is difficult to reach a solution because "they have been fighting for a thousand years." Yedioth confirmed that some Trump administration officials also expressed frustration with Israel's intention to expand the war in Gaza.

Witkoff Team Expansion

According to informed sources, Witkoff's expanded team now includes former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and lawyer Alan Dershowitz, who said, "I feel it's more challenging than we thought." Israeli media outlets reported that "Trump will issue a statement regarding a Palestinian state and American recognition of it without the presence of Hamas." However, Israeli sources denied the veracity of that report to Yedioth Ahronoth: "There is no indication of its authenticity, and it appears to be fabricated."

Reports in Israel reflect anger at Trump, anxiety, and a crisis of confidence. Sima Kadmon wrote in Yedioth Ahronoth, "Those who complained this week that Trump sold us out, betrayed us, and turned his back on us need to wake up. To sell out, betray us, and turn your back, you first have to promise something. And the American president didn't promise us anything. Perhaps we heard what we wanted to hear, and perhaps Netanyahu's reaction to Trump's election created exaggerated expectations here."

She added: "We were surprised this week by his promises to the Houthis that America would stop the attack, and now that we've bitten our nails over his dramatic announcement, it's clear, at least for now, that these were just trade agreements, and he didn't say a single word about Israel."

Kadmon believes that Trump doesn't particularly like Netanyahu, seeing him as merely a functional figure. She continued, "There is an inherent tendency among the families of the kidnapped to place their trust in Trump. They realized long ago that the key lies in Washington, not in this government. But Trump is not working for us."

Witkov presented his new initiative, a detailed document of which was obtained by Ynet, which aims to restore humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip through what he described as a "transparent, independent, and neutral logistical infrastructure," thereby overcoming obstacles that have undermined donor confidence and the efficiency of aid delivery.

Food for 60% of the population

Channel 12 quoted Israeli security officials as saying that this complex step will be implemented within about two weeks. The US-backed Israeli plan to resume the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza after an initial period of more than two months will provide food for only about 60 percent of the Strip's population, according to a memo sent to potential donors by the organization running the initiative.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's memo acknowledges that civilians in the Strip "are currently suffering from severe deprivation," but states that the "safe distribution sites" it will establish to distribute aid will initially serve only 1.2 million people, compared to a population of approximately two million.

The memo states that the four safe distribution sites will be "capable of scaling up to cover more than two million people," but does not specify how long the initial phase will last.

Furthermore, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation acknowledged that each of the safe distribution site initiatives will take time to reach the initial goal of serving 300,000 people. An Israeli official told The Times of Israel that Israel hopes some countries will begin accepting Palestinians, which would help narrow the gap between the initial capacity of the aid initiative and the total population of Gaza.

However, no country has yet volunteered to accept Palestinians. While Israel promotes the option of migration as "voluntary," countries in the region increasingly view it as forced.

The aid distribution centers will be located in a new humanitarian zone being established by Israel in southern Gaza between the Philadelphi Corridor, along Gaza's southern border with Egypt, and the newly established Morag Corridor, about five kilometers to the north. This zone primarily includes the southern Gaza city of Rafah, and entry to the zone will be via Israeli army checkpoints, a move the military hopes will prevent Hamas fighters from reaching the area.

According to the memo, aid will be distributed from distribution centers in boxes containing 50 meals, each containing 1,750 calories, as well as personal hygiene and medical supplies. Officials familiar with the plan said that between 5,000 and 6,000 screened representatives will be allowed to walk to the aid centers once every one to two weeks to receive a food box weighing approximately 18 kilograms for their families.