Rob Arlett, Delaware chairman for Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign, said the main challenge in US-Israel coordination over Gaza is accountability for Israeli military actions and transparency in intelligence information. In comments published on August 18, he raised the question of whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu genuinely wants peace.

Arlett said Netanyahu and the Israeli military are willing to launch strikes at any time based on their own intelligence. He said this has become a problem for President Trump, who believes unilateral Israeli military operations could obstruct broader peace efforts in Gaza. According to Arlett, Trump wants Israeli forces to pull back somewhat so Hamas has an opportunity to carry out commitments it has made.

Arlett said Hamas would be held accountable if it breaks those commitments, while the United States would maintain its commitment to Israel’s security and military assistance. He claimed Trump may be more credible than Netanyahu among Israel’s neighboring countries and said Trump’s Board of Peace is seeking an agreement. However, he said the central question remains whether Trump and Netanyahu can agree on a path toward their ultimate goal of peace in Gaza.