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WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu鈥檚 trip to Washington this week netted President Donald Trump another nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize he covets, but the ceasefire the U.S. leader sought for the war in Gaza didn’t emerge.

Despite Trump throwing his weight behind a push for a 60-day truce between Israel and Hamas, no breakthrough was announced during Netanyahu’s visit, a disappointment for a president who wants to be known as a peacemaker and has hinged his reputation on being a dealmaker.

鈥淗e prides himself or being able to make deals, so this is another test case,鈥� said Rachel Brandenburg, the Israel Policy Forum’s Washington managing director and senior fellow.

Trump鈥檚 ability to strike a ceasefire deal in the 21-month war will reveal the boundaries of his influence with Netanyahu, especially after their recent joint strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities that both leaders touted at the White House this week.

Beyond the back-to-back meetings Trump and Netanyahu had at the White House this week, there was little public evidence of progress at a time when the Republican U.S. president is pushing to end the fighting.

鈥楥loser than we鈥檝e been,’ but challenges remain

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that when it comes to a ceasefire in Gaza, 鈥渨e鈥檙e closer than we鈥檝e been in quite a while and we鈥檙e hopeful, but we also recognize there鈥檚 still some challenges in the way.鈥�

Rubio, who spoke to reporters while traveling in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, also said that Trump 鈥渨ants to see a ceasefire and we鈥檝e invested a lot of time and energy.鈥�

Beyond ending the bloodshed, ending the war in Gaza would give Trump more leeway to strike some of the broader agreements he seeks in the Middle East, such as expanding normalizing relations with Syria鈥檚 new government.

鈥淗e wants to be the one who gets hostages home and see the war in Gaza end so he can move on to some of these bigger deals,鈥� Brandenburg said.

Even if a truce is reached, Netanyahu has promised fighting will continue if necessary until Hamas is destroyed. The militant group, meanwhile, has conditioned the release of the remaining hostages on Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, a stipulation Israel has been unwilling to accept.

Trump-Netanyahu relationship sees a rebound

It鈥檚 unclear how much pressure Trump put on Netanyahu in their private talks this week. But the two leaders came into the visit seeming more aligned than ever 鈥� at least for now 鈥� fresh off the president having twice come to the Israeli leader鈥檚 assistance.

Trump made the risky move to join Israel鈥檚 attacks on Iran last month, delivering pivotal U.S. firepower while alarming world leaders and some of Trump鈥檚 鈥淎merica first鈥� supporters. Trump also inserted himself into Israel鈥檚 domestic affairs, calling for Netanyahu鈥檚 yearslong corruption trial to be thrown out.

That鈥檚 a marked turnaround in their relationship, which had appeared somewhat strained in recent years.

Trump shocked some of his fellow Republicans and staunch supporters of Israel by publicly criticizing Netanyahu not long after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, setting off the conflict.

He said that Netanyahu 鈥渨as not prepared鈥� for the attack from Hamas and that Netanyahu had 鈥渓et us down鈥� just before the U.S. killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in 2020.

Even during his last visit to the White House earlier this year, Netanyahu seemed caught off guard when Trump announced the U.S. would hold talks with Iran over its nuclear deal rather than embrace Netanyahu鈥檚 push for military pressure.

With their military objectives aligning for a time on Iran, the Israeli leader has worked to foster a warmer relationship.

In a video he released after the U.S. strikes, Netanyahu spoke 鈥� in English instead of Hebrew 鈥� of the 鈥渦nshakeable alliance鈥� between their countries while repeatedly praising Trump.

鈥淗is leadership today has created a pivot of history that can help lead the Middle East and beyond to a future of prosperity and peace,鈥� Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu tries the charm offensive on Trump

In his visit to Washington this week, the Israeli leader also showed he knows how to praise the president in a way that matters greatly to him when he unveiled a letter in front of reporters and cameras to announce he had nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Those gestures, though, may only carry him so far as Trump pushes for a deal that Netanyahu may not be able to accept.

鈥淚 think if Netanyahu stands in the way too much for too long of the sort of loftier objectives Trump has set out for himself,鈥� Brandenburg said, 鈥淣etanyahu will be cast aside as more of a problem than an asset.鈥�

Netanyahu, like many Israelis, believes Trump is the greatest friend they have ever had in the White House and is deeply grateful for the U.S. strikes on Iran鈥檚 nuclear sites last month.

Netanyahu faces competing pressures at home and abroad

But the Israeli leader is also under mounting public pressure to end the war as hostages languish in captivity and more Israeli soldiers are killed in guerrilla-style attacks.

Israel鈥檚 military success against Iran has given him some political capital, but if he ends the war while leaving Hamas intact, he will have broken his repeated promise of 鈥渢otal victory.鈥�

His far-right coalition partners have threatened to bolt if he does that, sparking early elections that could end his nearly unbroken 16 years in power and leave him more vulnerable to long-standing corruption charges.

That may prove too heavy a price for delivering the kind of lasting ceasefire sought by Trump and demanded by Hamas. Instead, Netanyahu, who is seen as a masterful politician by friends and foes alike, is expected to thread the needle.

In a video statement on Thursday, Netanyahu said that he would agree to a 鈥渢emporary鈥� 60-day ceasefire in return for the release of half the hostages remaining in Gaza, many of whom are believed dead, and that he would begin negotiations on ending the war.

But he conditioned any lasting ceasefire on Hamas giving up its arms 鈥� something the militants have refused to do as long as Israel occupies parts of Gaza.

If Hamas can be disarmed through negotiations, 鈥渟o much the better,鈥� Netanyahu said. 鈥淚f it is not achieved through negotiations in 60 days, we will achieve it in other ways 鈥� by using force.鈥�

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Krauss reported from Ottawa, Ontario.