Trump Hails Anti-Israel Pak PM Before Netanyahu Amid Gaza Ceasefire Talks

During a tense White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump praised Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir for backing his bold Gaza ceasefire plan. This praise came despite Sharif’s fiery UNGA speech days earlier, where he labelled Israel’s Gaza operations a “genocidal onslaught” and called for a sovereign Palestinian state with pre-1967 borders. Pakistan’s early recognition of Palestine and Sharif’s endorsement of Trump’s 20-point peace proposal reveal surprising alignment with Trump’s vision, even as Islamabad maintains an anti-Netanyahu stance.

Sharif and Munir faced an hour-long wait outside the Oval Office, sparking talk of a deliberate US snub. As Trump tries to balance fragile alliances with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and others amid regional tensions, the big question remains: Can this unexpected US–Pakistan alignment deliver Gaza peace, or will Netanyahu’s coalition and ideological divides upend the plan?