Trump pushes Netanyahu for Gaza ceasefire deal as US plans $500M arms boost to Israel

Ahead of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s US visit, the Trump administration announced on Monday, June 30, 2025, its plans to sell $510 million worth of Joint Direct Attack Munition guidance kits for the Israeli Air Force’s air-to-ground bombs.

As a part of the deal, the State Department and the Pentagon approved the sale of more than 7,000 JDAM guidance kits designed to be affixed to the Israeli Air Force’s unguided BLU-109 2,000-pound bombs and Mk-82 500-pound bombs, according to the news portal Al-Monitor.

This comes after Israel requested 3,845 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kits for the BLU-109 bomb and 3,280 KMU-572 F/B JDAM guidance kits for the MK 82 bomb, Middle East Eye reported. The arms boost from Washington for Israel comes at a time when the US President is pushing hard for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the conflict. He has also recently signaled his interest in achieving another hostage release deal in Gaza.


Trump on Sunday, June 29, 2025, posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, urging Netanyahu to “make the deal in Gaza” in order to secure the return of the remaining hostages.

Speaking about the weapons deal, the DSCA said in a statement that Washington is committed to the security of Israel. “The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability,” the DSCA said in a statement.

“The proposed sale will enhance Israel’s capability to meet current and future threats by improving its ability to defend Israel’s borders, vital infrastructure, and population centers,” the statement further stated.

Netanyahu’s US visit

Trump will host Israeli Netanyahu for talks at the White House next Monday (July 7, 2025), according to two US administration officials. The officials were not authorized to comment publicly on the visit that hasn't been formally announced and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Netanyahu's visit comes after Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer's visit to Washington this week for talks with senior administration officials on a Gaza ceasefire, Iran, and other matters. The US President in public comments has signaled he's turning his attention to bringing a close to the fighting between Israel and Hamas, since the ceasefire to end 12 days of fighting between Israel and Iran took hold a week ago.

Earlier, Trump told reporters, “We think within the next week we're going to get a ceasefire” in Gaza but didn't offer any further explanation for his optimism.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt earlier on Monday said Trump and administration officials were in constant communication with Israeli leadership, and bringing about an end to the Gaza conflict is a priority for Trump. “It's heartbreaking to see the images that have come out from both Israel and Gaza throughout this war, and the president wants to see it end. He wants to save lives," Leavitt added.

An eight-week ceasefire was reached as Trump took office earlier in 2025, but Israel resumed the war in March after trying to get Hamas to accept new terms on next steps. Talks between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly faltered over a major sticking point—whether the war should end as part of any ceasefire agreement. About 50 hostages remain captive in Gaza, with less than half believed to be alive.