‘Epstein Files’ Revelations Continue to Roil Washington

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‘Epstein Files’ Revelations Continue to Roil Washington

(, The Center Square) Ten days past the official Congressionally-set deadline to publish all federal files on sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, the U.S. Department of Justice is still releasing the documents piecemeal.

Congress last month overwhelmingly passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which mandated that the DOJ declassify by Dec. 19 all information pertaining to Epstein, who died in jail in 2019, and his close associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence.

But the DOJ is still in the process of releasing all the documents, many of which contain significant redactions that critics say violates the order for transparency. Others have discovered that the agency redacted some of the documents incorrectly, allowing viewers to simply copy and paste the redactions into another document to read the underlying text.

The content redacted raises further questions on whether the DOJ is fully complying with the requirement for full transparency.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act expressly forbids the DOJ from redacting relevant information unless it could potentially jeopardize victim privacy, national security, or prosecution efforts.

But, as revealed on social media by political commentator Ed Krassenstein, the DOJ apparently violated that edict in at least one of the documents.

One of the uncovered redactions included information on how Epstein attempted to pay off witnesses of his sex trafficking operations and destroy evidence of his crimes.

“Defendants also actively obstructed law enforcement by denying investigators access to Little St. James beyond its boat dock. Defendants also attempted to conceal their criminal sex trafficking and abuse conduct by paying large sums of money to participant-witnesses, including by paying for their attorneys’ fees and case costs in litigation related to this conduct. Epstein also threatened harm to victims and helped release damaging stories about them to damage their credibility when they tried to go public with their stories of being trafficked and sexually abused. Epstein also instructed one or more Epstein Enterprise participant-witnesses to destroy evidence relevant to ongoing court proceedings involving Defendants’ criminal sex trafficking and abuse conduct,” it reads.

“So the obvious question is: why was this information being hidden at all? Why redact references to known participant-witnesses and lawyers connected to this scheme?” Krassenstein said. “There is no legitimate reason for these redactions.”

As of Monday, the DOJ has not responded to the redactions discovery. The agency announced on Christmas Eve that the FBI recently “uncovered over a million more documents potentially related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.”

“Due to the mass volume of material, this process may take a few more weeks,” it concluded.

Trump Says He’ll Support an Israeli Attack on Iran If Tehran ‘Continues’ Its Missile Program

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Trump Says He’ll Support an Israeli Attack on Iran If Tehran ‘Continues’ Its Missile Program

(Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com) President Trump said on Monday that he would support an Israeli attack on Iran if Tehran “continues” its conventional missile program or if it works to rebuild its civilian nuclear program that was damaged by US airstrikes during the US-Israeli war on the Islamic Republic in June.

The president made the comments at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida before a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when asked if he would back more Israeli attacks on Iran. “If they continue with the missiles, yes. The nuclear, fast,” he said.

“One will be yes, absolutely,” he added, appearing to reference Iran’s missiles. “The other was we’ll do it immediately,” he said, referencing the possibility of Iran rebuilding its nuclear program. The president also threatened to “knock the hell” out of Iran if it “builds up again.”

According to media reports, Netanyahu was expected to ask Trump to support a new war against Iran over concerns related to its ballistic missiles. Iranian officials have been clear that they won’t agree to a deal to curb Tehran’s missile program since it’s the only deterrent the country has against the US and Israel.

After the meeting, Trump and Netanyahu held a joint press conference where the US president again expressed support for the idea of another attack on Iran, though he suggested it wasn’t “confirmed” that Tehran was “building up” again.

Any Israeli strikes on Iran would require US support since the US military played a major role in intercepting Iranian missiles fired at Israel, though they made it through US and Israeli air defenses, which is ultimately what led Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire after 12 days. The US also supported Israel’s attacks by refueling Israeli aircraft and then launched its own airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Amid the threats of another US and Israeli attack, Iran has warned that it’s ready to respond. According to Iran’s PressTV, the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces warned in a statement on Monday that “any renewed hostile act against the country will be met with a far harsher, more crushing, and more damaging response than in the past.”

This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.

 

Report: CIA Conducted a Drone Strike in Venezuela

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Report: CIA Conducted a Drone Strike in Venezuela

(Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com) President Trump has claimed that the US had “knocked out” a “big facility” as part of the US campaign targeting alleged drug boats in Latin America and against Venezuela.

CNN later reported on Monday that the CIA conducted a drone strike on a port facility in Venezuela, which, if true, would mark a major US escalation against the country. So far, the Venezuelan government hasn’t confirmed the claims.

Trump first made the comments in an interview on WABC radio on Friday when discussing the US operations against alleged drug boats in the region. “And we just knocked out, I don’t know if you read or you saw, they have a big plant or a big facility where they send the, you know, where the ships come from. Two nights ago, we knocked that out, so we hit them very hard,” he said.

The president was asked by a reporter on Monday about the comments and whether the alleged attack was conducted by the US military. “Well, it doesn’t matter, but there was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs,” he said, describing the target as an “implementation area” that’s no longer around.

Unnamed US officials speaking to The New York Times claimed that in the WABC interview, Trump was referencing a “drug facility in Venezuela” that they said was “eliminated.” Sources speaking to CNN said the facility was allegedly used by the gang Tren de Aragua and that there were no casualties because no one was present at the time of the attack.

Trump claimed the attack occurred on December 24, the same day there was an explosion at a warehouse in Venezuela’s northwestern state of Zulia. The company that owns the warehouse, Primazol, which specializes in chemical supplies for livestock feed and other purposes, said in a statement that it rejected unspecified allegations about the incident that were circulating on social media, though it’s unclear if it was referencing claims that the blast may have been caused by a US attack.

A major part of the US aggression against Venezuela has been a psychological campaign aimed at scaring Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, involving leaks to the media about US plans to bomb the country.

Back in October, Trump said that he authorized covert CIA activity inside Venezuela, and the US spy agency had previously conducted cyberattacks in the country during his first administration.

Any US attack on Venezuela would be illegal under the Constitution, which requires congressional authorization to launch a war. The Trump administration has been clear that its goal in its campaign against Venezuela is the ouster of Maduro, while using false claims that his government is a “cartel” as a pretext.

The US has been enforcing a naval blockade on Venezuela, which so far has involved the seizure of two tankers, a step that’s traditionally considered an act of war and has been strongly denounced by UN experts as illegal aggression.

“There is no right to enforce unilateral sanctions through an armed blockade,” four UN human rights experts said last week. “The illegal use of force, and threats to use further force at sea and on land, gravely endanger the human right to life and other rights in Venezuela and the region.”

This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.

 

Mike Pompeo: GOP Must Root Out Antisemitism or Face ‘Poisonous’ Consequences

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Mike Pompeo: GOP Must Root Out Antisemitism or Face ‘Poisonous’ Consequences

(José Niño, Headline USA) Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued an urgent call for Republican leadership to actively combat antisemitism and anti-Zionism within the party, warning that tolerance of such views will prove catastrophic for the conservative movement.

Speaking with host Gabe Groisman on the landmark 100th episode of the Standpoint podcast—released December 28 following Groisman’s attendance at a White House Hanukkah celebration—Pompeo acknowledged growing concerns about antisemitic sentiment emerging in Republican circles.

“We have to call out those, if we agree with them on 90% of the issues, and yet they’re anti-Zionists, or they’re anti-Semitic, we have to call it what it is,” Pompeo stated emphatically during the wide-ranging discussion on U.S.-Israel relations and foreign policy.

The former CIA Director rejected the notion that shared agreement on conservative priorities—whether limited government, lower taxes, or pro-life stances—should excuse antisemitic behavior or rhetoric. He argued that Republican leaders bear responsibility not merely to identify such conduct but to articulate why it fundamentally contradicts conservative and Republican values.

Pompeo acknowledged the difficulty party members face when confronting friends and political allies who express antisemitic views. “I think that’s sometimes the hard part is to say, gosh, Joe’s my friend and Joe said something anti-Semitic and I don’t wanna make Joe mad that Joe agrees with me on, being pro-life or whatever it may be,” he explained.

Yet he insisted such personal relationships cannot override principle. “You can agree with me about what the right marginal tax rate is on capital gains. You cannot allow disagreement on this issue to creep inside of our party because it will be poisonous and it will grow and metastasize in ways that will be really difficult to get back,” Pompeo warned.

The former Secretary of State expressed cautious optimism about recent Republican responses to antisemitic incidents within party ranks. He noted that over recent weeks and months, several conservatives have stepped forward to denounce behavior inconsistent with support for Jewish people and Zionism, declaring such conduct “out of bounds” and “unacceptable.”

However, Pompeo acknowledged uncertainty about how to reverse antisemitic trends in broader American politics. “The ability to get this back has proven incredibly difficult. I think Senator Fetterman would say he doesn’t know the path, to get it back. I don’t either,” he admitted, expressing hope that individuals will eventually recognize righteous behavior.

He concluded by emphasizing the Republican Party’s historical commitment to Jewish causes and Israel. “Inside our party, we’ve got a long, consistent history and we need to protect and preserve that,” Pompeo declared.

José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino 

 

‘You Are Hoes’: DOJ Lawyer Harmeet Dhillon Rudely Downplays J6 Statute of Limitations

Luis Cornelio
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‘You Are Hoes’: DOJ Lawyer Harmeet Dhillon Rudely Downplays J6 Statute of Limitations

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon unleashed a series of fiery posts on X in response to so-called conservative influencers who were claiming the statute of limitations was about to expire for members of the Jan. 6 Committee.

Dillon’s remarks come as the five-year statute of limitations is set to expire for many crimes committed by potential federal provocateurs or other bad actors during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill protest. For instance, the committee’s “star witness,” Cassidy Hutchinson, changed her testimony multiple times, and later congressional probes revealed that committee member Liz Cheney secretly communicated with her and may have been coaching her.

Dillon said that date to prosecute such actions is irrelevant because the Jan. 6 Committee—which conducted politically motivated show trials over the protest and then destroyed evidence before the Trump administration retook power—didn’t form until the summer of 2021.

In one post, Dhillon, who runs the DOJ Civil Rights Division, referred to conservatives raising concerns as “hoes,” accusing some of them of chasing viral content for monetization.  The word “hoe” is slang for “whore,” typically referring to a prostitute who offers sexual favors in exchange for money. 

She wrote, “‘Conservative’ influencers, if you think you are ‘keeping the pressure on’ or ‘winning’ by spreading bullshit attacks on @realDonaldTrump’s hand-picked cabinet, you are NOT. You are earning money to spread misinformation. You are hoes. Learn an honest profession!” 

She described Jan. 6, 2021 as an “IRRELEVANT” date for prosecuting conspiracy or other potentially unlawful conduct by members of the Jan. 6 committee. 

Dhillon noted that former Special Counsel Jack Smith was appointed in 2022, meaning the statute of limitations “runs on his obvious shenanigans late 2027.” 

She added, “Democrats in Congress and those in the states colluding with Biden WH hide their behavior, some of which STILLL HASN’T come to light! Statute runs on this five years after their concealed behavior is known to the government. This means the statute could run in the next administration.”  

She concluded, “STOP POSTING CLICKBAIT BS!!! You are being used!”

However, Dhillon didn’t address the fact that former President Joe Biden pardoned the Jan. 6 Committee before he left office. Biden did not pardon Smith.

 

BLM-Antifa Felon Celebrates Charlie Kirk Murder in Disturbing Prison Posts

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BLM-Antifa Felon Celebrates Charlie Kirk Murder in Disturbing Prison Posts

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) One of the violent individuals serving one of the heaviest sentences for the 2020 riots in Portland, Oregon, had been making sickening blog posts from federal prison, including one in which he celebrated Charlie Kirk’s murder and allegedly urged further violence. 

The inmate, Malik Fard Muhammad, made the posts through a site reportedly run by his Antifa “comrades,” according to the Post Millennial.  

He is serving a 10-year sentence for throwing a Molotov cocktail at Portland police during the George Floyd riots of 2020. 

“Charlie Kirk was a direct threat to us, and he has been dispensed,” Muhammad wrote on Sept. 26, later adding: “We’ve had the ballot since the ’60s and it hasn’t changed a thing. The bullet is much quicker and more effective — gratifying, too.” 

The Kirk-related entry appears as part of a series titled Malik Speaks.  

The post, titled On Tyler Robinson, excuses Kirk’s murder, comparing it to a scenario of killing “baby Hitler.” 

Robinson is facing murder charges after police identified him as the suspect who fatally shot Kirk on Sept. 10 while he delivered a speech before college students at Utah Valley University. 

Prosecutors alleged that Robinson confessed the killing to his transgender-identifying boyfriend after Robinson claimed he had “enough of his hatred.” 

In the post, Muhammad suggested he identifies with Robinson, writing that he also has “two trans partners.” 

He wrote: 

“Tyler is staying solid, not cooperating. He did what he’s supposed to, not talking to the pigs. When a radical falls taking direct action, they need and want our support. So long as they keep it solid, we should give it. That’s what keeps us sustained, is us. I don’t know all of his motives, but what I do, is that he took bold direct action on part of leftist ideology. I have two trans partners, I have trans people I love in my life, women, minorities, immigrants I love, and I will always defend them and eliminate threats to them.” 

Muhammad’s words fit a broader pattern of violent extremism that federal prosecutors previously described in court filings. 

He is a self-described “anarchist,” “antifascist” and “abolitionist,” according to the Post Millennial. 

His 10-year sentence came after he pleaded guilty in 2022 to two counts of possessing unregistered destructive devices for his role in the riots following George Floyd’s death, which included throwing a Molotov cocktail at police and handing out bats to rioters to attack officers. 

“Malik Fard Muhammad intentionally planned and committed acts of violence that threatened other protestors, members of the public, and law enforcement officers. This type of violence has no place in our community,” said then-FBI Portland Special Agent in Charge Kieran Ramsey in response to Muhammad’s sentencing.

“The FBI is committed to apprehending and charging violent instigators who plan, promote, and commit acts of violence and destruction. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the peaceful expression of free speech throughout Oregon,” he added.

Federal Agents on Ground Investigating Minneapolis Fraud Claims

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Federal Agents on Ground Investigating Minneapolis Fraud Claims

(Elysa Apel, The Center Square) The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are on the ground in Minneapolis actively investigating suspected sites of fraud.

This is in the wake of multiple high-profile fraud cases that have gained national attention and include investigations into the misuse of state taxpayer funding and federal COVID-19 relief dollars.

“Homeland Security Investigations @ICEGov are on the ground in Minneapolis right now conducting a massive investigation on childcare and other rampant fraud,” said Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem on Monday. “More coming.”

Noem and the DHS posted multiple videos on social media of agents going door to door of the suspected fraud sites and gathering information from other local businesses on the sites.

“The American people deserve answers on how their taxpayer money is being used and ARRESTS when abuse is found,” said DHS in a Monday post on social media.

The firestorm first broke about the Minneapolis fraud cases following the release of reports in late November which alleged that millions of taxpayer dollars had been fraudulently stolen from the Minnesota welfare system and then sent to the Somali-based terror group Al-Shabaab.

That was according to original reporting from Chris Rufo and Ryan Thorpe that was published in City Journal. It detailed how, throughout the fall, the then-acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Joe Thompson, was investigating several different cases of fraud in the state. At that time, Thompson called it a “crisis.”

Much of that attention has been focused on reports of fraud among the city’s significant Somalian population. Since then, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has opened an investigation into the fraud.

Last week, investigative reporter Nick Shirley posted a viral video that claimed to uncover $110 million in fraud at child care centers in the state.

“Its time to hold these corrupt politicians and fraudsters accountable,” Shirley said. “We ALL work way too hard and pay too much in taxes for this to be happening, the fraud must be stopped.”

Many Republicans picked up on the story, including some in the Trump administration. FBI Director Kash Patel said he is surging resources to the state.

“Fraud that steals from taxpayers and robs vulnerable children will remain a top FBI priority in Minnesota and nationwide,” Patel said on Sunday. “The FBI believes this is just the tip of a very large iceberg.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, pushed back against the allegations. His office said Walz has been actively cracking down on crime and strengthening oversight.

The federal investigations are ongoing.

Florida Congresswoman Accused of Stealing COVID Funds Maintains Innocence

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Florida Congresswoman Accused of Stealing COVID Funds Maintains Innocence

(Headline USA)  U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick reiterated her innocence Monday outside a Miami federal courthouse, where she faces charges of conspiring to steal $5 million in federal COVID-19 disaster funds.

Cherfilus-McCormick was scheduled to be arraigned, but her attorney requested the proceeding be rescheduled to Jan. 20 so that she could finalize her legal team. Prosecutors didn’t object, and Judge Lisette Reid agreed to the new date. The hearing lasted less than five minutes.

“I just want to make it very clear that I am innocent,” Cherfilus-McCormick said immediately after leaving court. “In no way did I steal any kind of funds. I’m committed to the people of Florida and my district.”

Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democrat, has pleaded not guilty. She is facing 15 federal counts that accuse her of stealing funds that had been overpaid to her family’s health care company, Trinity Healthcare Services, in 2021. The company had a contract to register people for COVID-19 vaccinations.

Cherfilus-McCormick’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, said the case involves mistakes that generally aren’t even misdemeanors, let alone felonies. He said he believes the case is politically motivated.

Cherfilus-McCormick was arrested in November and then freed on a $60,000 bond. In addition to bail, the judge said Cherfilus-McCormick must surrender her personal passport, and is allowed to travel only between Florida, Washington, D.C., Maryland and the Eastern District of Virginia.

She has been allowed to retain her congressional passport so she can perform certain duties for her job.

According to the federal indictment, prosecutors said that within two months of receiving the funds in 2021, more than $100,000 had been spent on a 3-carat yellow diamond ring for the congresswoman.

The health care company owned by Cherfilus-McCormick’s family had received payments through a COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract, the indictment said. Her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, requested $50,000, but they mistakenly received $5 million and didn’t return the difference.

Prosecutors said the funds received by Trinity Healthcare were distributed to various accounts, including to friends and relatives who then donated to Cherfilus-McCormick’s campaign for Congress.

Cherfilus-McCormick won a special election in January 2022 to represent Florida’s 20th District, which includes parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties, after Rep. Alcee Hastings died in 2021.

The charges she faces include theft of government funds; making and receiving straw donor contributions; aiding and assisting a false and fraudulent statement on a tax return; money laundering, as well as conspiracy charges associated with each of those counts.

According to a previous statement provided by Cherfilus-McCormick’s chief of staff, she doesn’t plan to resign from office. She said she has cooperated with “every lawful request” and will continue to do so until the matter is resolved.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press. 

Judge Orders Release of Transcript from Closed Hearing for Alleged Charlie Kirk Assassin

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Judge Orders Release of Transcript from Closed Hearing for Alleged Charlie Kirk Assassin

(Headline USA)  A Utah judge on Monday ordered the release of a transcript from a closed-door hearing in October over whether the man charged with killing Charlie Kirk must be shackled during court proceedings.

State District Judge Tony Graf said the transcript must be posted on the court docket by the end of the day. Attorneys for media outlets including The Associated Press had argued for details of the closed hearing to be made public.

Prosecutors have charged Tyler Robinson with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 shooting of the conservative activist on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, just a few miles north of the Provo courthouse. They plan to seek the death penalty.

Defense attorneys for Robinson in early October requested that he be allowed to appear in court in civilian clothes and without restraints, to prevent any bias against him among potential jurors.

Days after an Oct. 24 closed door hearing on the matter, Graf ruled that Robinson could appear in civilian clothes but must wear restraints. Utah court rules require defendants who are in custody to be restrained unless otherwise ordered.

Graf wrote in an Oct. 27 order that restraints for Robinson would protect the safety of court staff and the defendant, by allowing him to be quickly secured if court proceedings were disrupted.

But the judge said Monday that public transparency was “foundational” to the judicial system before ordering details of the closed hearing to be released. The judge ordered limited redactions to remove discussions of security protocols in the closely watched case.

Graf also ordered the release of an audio recording of the hearing, again with redactions.

Lawyers for the media wrote in recent filings that an open court “safeguards the integrity of the fact-finding process” while fostering public confidence in judicial proceedings. Criminal cases in the U.S. have long been open to the public, which the attorneys argued is proof that trials can be conducted fairly without restricting reporters.

Graf has said in a separate order that Robinson’s restraints could not be shown by media outlets that publish photographs of court proceedings or broadcast them.

Graf briefly stopped a media livestream of a hearing earlier this month and ordered the camera be moved after Robinson’s attorneys said the stream showed the defendant’s shackles.

In a separate ruling Monday, Graf denied a request from attorneys for the media who sought to intervene in the case. The judge said members of the press do not need to be formal parties in the proceedings to access court records.

Robinson was not present in court Monday but appeared via audio link from the Utah County Jail.

A preliminary hearing, where prosecutors will lay out their case against him, is scheduled for the week of May 18.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press.

Trump and Netanyahu are to Meet in Florida at a Crucial Moment for the US-backed Gaza Ceasefire

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Trump and Netanyahu are to Meet in Florida at a Crucial Moment for the US-backed Gaza Ceasefire

(Headline USA) President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, as Washington looks to create fresh momentum for a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza that could be in danger of stalling before a complicated second phase.

Trump could use the face-to-face at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to try to leverage his strong relationship with Netanyahu and look for ways to speed up the peace process. Before that, Netanyahu met separately with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that Trump championed has mostly held, but progress has slowed recently. Both sides accuse each other of violations, and divisions have emerged among the U.S., Israel and Arab countries about the path forward.

The truce’s first phase began in October, days after the two-year anniversary of the initial Hamas-led attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people. All but one of the 251 hostages taken then have been released, alive or dead.

The Israeli leader has signaled he is in no rush to move forward with the next phase as long as the remains of Ran Gvili are still in Gaza. Netanyahu’s office said he met with Gvili’s parents in Florida.

Now comes the next, far more complicated part. Trump’s 20-point plan — which was approved by the U.N. Security Council — lays out an ambitious vision for ending Hamas’ rule of Gaza.

The two leaders also are expected to discuss other topics, including Iran, whose nuclear capabilities Trump insists were “completely and fully obliterated” after U.S. strikes on its nuclear sites in June. Israeli officials have been quoted in local media as expressing concern about Iran rebuilding its supply of long-range missiles capable of striking Israel.

There are many key facets of the ceasefire’s second phase that Israel’s leader doesn’t support or has even openly opposed, said Mona Yacoubian, director and senior adviser of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“This is going to be a really tall order, I think, for President Trump to get Netanyahu to agree,” she said.

“How he does that, what kind of pressure he puts on Netanyahu, I think, is going to be important to watch for,” said Yacoubian, who also said the two could exhibit ”a broader clash of approaches to the region.”

If successful, the second phase would see the rebuilding of a demilitarized Gaza under international supervision by a group chaired by Trump and known as the Board of Peace. The Palestinians would form a “technocratic, apolitical” committee to run daily affairs in Gaza, under Board of Peace supervision.

It further calls for normalized relations between Israel and the Arab world, and a possible pathway to Palestinian independence. Then there are thorny logistical and humanitarian questions, including rebuilding war-ravaged Gaza, disarming Hamas and creating a security apparatus called the International Stabilization Force.

The Board of Peace would oversee Gaza’s reconstruction under a two-year, renewable U.N. mandate. Its members had been expected to be named by the end of the year and might even be revealed after Monday’s meeting, but the announcement could be pushed into next month.

Netanyahu was the first foreign leader to meet Trump at the White House in his second term, but this will be their first in-person meeting since Trump went to Israel in October to mark the start of the ceasefire’s initial phase. Netanyahu has been to Mar-a-Lago before, including in July 2024 when Trump was still seeking reelection.

Their latest meeting comes after U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, recently huddled in Florida with officials from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, which have been mediating the ceasefire.

Two main challenges have complicated moving to the second phase, according to an official who was briefed on those meetings. Israeli officials have been taking a lot of time to vet and approve members of the Palestinian technocratic committee from a list given to them by the mediators, and Israel continues its military strikes.

Trump’s plan also calls for the stabilization force, proposed as a multinational body, to maintain security. But it, too, has yet to be formed. Whether details will be forthcoming after Monday’s meeting is unclear.

A Western diplomat said there is a “huge gulf” between the U.S.-Israeli understanding of the force’s mandate and that of other major countries in the region, as well as European governments.

All spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details that haven’t been made public.

The U.S. and Israel want the force to have a “commanding role” in security duties, including disarming Hamas and other militant groups. But countries being courted to contribute troops fear that mandate will make it an “occupation force,” the diplomat said.

Hamas has said it is ready to discuss “freezing or storing” its arsenal of weapons but insists it has a right to armed resistance as long as Israel occupies Palestinian territory. One U.S. official said a potential plan might be to offer cash incentives in exchange for weapons, echoing a “buyback” program Witkoff has previously floated.

One displaced man in Khan Younis, Iyad Abu Sakla, said Trump needed to urge Netanyahu to allow Palestinians to return to their homes. Under the agreement, most Palestinians are permitted in a zone just under half the size of Gaza.

“We are exhausted. This displacement is bad; it’s cold and freezing. Enough lying to us and enough insulting our intelligence,” Sakla said.

Israeli bombardment and ground operations have transformed neighborhoods across Gaza into rubble-strewn wastelands, with blackened shells of buildings and mounds of debris stretching in all directions.

Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are pressing for a negotiated deal on disarming Hamas and on additional Israeli withdrawal from Gaza before moving to next elements of the plan, including deployment of the international security force and reconstruction, three Arab officials said.

Three other officials, including two Americans, said the United Arab Emirates has agreed to fund reconstruction, including new communities, although they said plans have not been settled.

All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations between the various countries. The UAE did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press. 

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