Trump and Netanyahu Relationship Reportedly Fractured

Reports are circulating that the relationship between United States President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fractured. Netanyahu is now even said to be being sidelined by Trump.

That claim was made by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Barak believes Trump’s current attitude “no longer” pays much heed to Netanyahu.

Barak referred to a new framework concerning the Gaza Strip which he said marginalised Israel, as well as Trump’s decision to cancel a planned attack on Iran that had reportedly been set to be launched jointly by the US and Israel.

“The language in the agreement is very ambiguous, but the general direction is clear. Israel and its demands have been ignored,” said Barak, who served as Israeli Prime Minister from 1999 to 2001, in an interview with the Israeli broadcaster KAN, as reported by Anadolu Agency and Middle East Monitor on Monday (3/8/2026).

He noted that the framework on Gaza does not require the total disarmament of Hamas, the removal of weapons from Gaza, or the exile of Hamas leaders.

“On the contrary, the agreement speaks of an end to the killing and a return to control of 53 per cent of the Gaza Strip, not 65 per cent,” he said.

Barak described the situation as a bitter reality.

“The bitter truth is that Trump no longer cares about Netanyahu, and all of this is deeply worrying,” he said.

He argued that Netanyahu has “completely lost his bargaining power” in front of Trump. According to Barak, the US President’s inner circle has also lost confidence in the Israeli Prime Minister.

“Trump’s relationship with him has suffered a deep rupture,” he said.

Furthermore, Barak claimed that Hamas fighters still possess “tens of thousands of weapons”, with no discussion of any effort to collect those arms.

“The fundamental reality we should worry about is that Israel has no voice in this issue. The agreement was reached without Israel at the negotiating table,” he said.

“Trump, who met Netanyahu in a meeting described by the Prime Minister as the best they have ever had, is now effectively ignoring him,” Barak continued.

Turning to the Iran issue, Barak noted that Trump recently told journalists that “Netanyahu will do whatever I instruct”. Barak assessed that Israel “has no real ability to restrain Trump’s will”, while the Gulf states are pushing in the opposite direction.

“What happened last night (the cancellation of the US attack on Iran) was entirely predictable. Trump does not want a large-scale war,” he said.

On Saturday (1/8), Trump announced the cancellation of planned US military strikes on Iran. He said Tehran and other Middle Eastern countries had requested time to finalise a framework peace agreement.

The US President also stated that Israel was party to that commitment, meaning Tel Aviv had likewise cancelled its attack plans.