President Trump blasted Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for being "so f--ing negative" about a pending deal to end the war in Gaza and free the remaining Israeli hostages, according to a report.
The tense conversation took place Friday after Hamas said it would accept parts of Trump's 20-point peace plan, Axios reported.
“I don’t know why you’re always so f–king negative. This is a win. Take it,” Trump reportedly said.
In particular, Hamas agreed to release all of Israel's hostages, but the terror group said nothing about disarming, a key point of contention with Israel.
A U.S. official told Axios that Bibi was underwhelmed, telling Trump, "this is nothing to celebrate and it doesn't mean anything."
But Trump saw Hamas' response as an opening to making a deal, and the president was annoyed that "Bibi" didn't see it the same way.
In public comments after their phone call, Trump boasted about pushing Netanyahu to accept the deal, leaving no doubt of who has the upper hand.
"Netanyahu had reservations but I told him that this is his opportunity for victory," Trump told Israeli television's Channel 12 on Saturday. "He accepted it. There is no other choice, with me you have to be okay."
"Bibi went too far in Gaza and Israel lost a lot of support in the world,” Trump added. “Now I will bring back all that support.”
When asked Monday about his reported use of foul language towards Netanyahu, Trump denied it, saying, "No, it’s not true. He has been very positive.”
Still, it has been apparent for some time that Trump's desire for diplomacy is in tension with Netanyahu's hardline priorities.
During an Oval Office meeting last week, Trump forced Netanyahu to apologize to Qatar, a Hamas mediator, for an attack on Qatar's capital that blindsided the White House.
While it is widely understood that "Bibi" is not thrilled with the terms of Trump's peace deal, Netanyahu is also under pressure from the Israeli public to end the two-year war and free the remaining hostages taken by Hamas. Meanwhile, Trump has warned that Hamas faces "complete obliteration" if they do not surrender power.
As peace talks began in Egypt on Monday, Trump kept the pressure on both sides.
"I am told that the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST,” Trump said in a social media post.
