Netanyahu Renewed Plea to Trump for Pardon as Gaza, Rafah and Ceasefire Tensions Persist

Benjamin Netanyahu has again appealed to former US president Donald Trump for help securing a pardon as his long-running criminal prosecutions continue. According to multiple accounts, the two men held a lengthy phone call in which Mr Netanyahu urged Mr Trump to press Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, to intervene.

Mr Netanyahu formally asked President Herzog to quash the proceedings on Sunday, following an earlier written plea from Mr Trump. The US president had previously called for the cases to be halted during his October address to the Knesset.

Legal status and presidential powers

Mr Netanyahu faces long-standing charges of breach of trust, bribery and fraud, which he denies. As Israel’s president, Mr Herzog has formal power to grant pardons, but legal experts have noted uncertainty about whether that authority can be used to stop an active trial or to grant clemency before conviction or admission of guilt. Mr Herzog has said he will gather legal opinions before deciding, a process officials expect could take around two months.

What happened on the call

Reports say Mr Netanyahu pressed Mr Trump to do more on his behalf; Mr Trump reportedly declined to commit to further action but told Mr Netanyahu he believed a pardon could be granted. A US official said Mr Trump had already done all he could.

The call also touched on security and regional issues. Mr Trump reportedly criticised Mr Netanyahu’s handling of aspects of the Gaza ceasefire and urged closer cooperation over implementation, including arrangements related to the release and amnesty of certain Hamas members that are part of the ceasefire framework. Israeli officials have said some fighters on the IDF-controlled side of the line were killed after firing at troops; the United States has sought a negotiated solution to the dispute.

Mr Trump is also said to have advised restraint after a recent Israeli strike in Syria that killed 13 people and followed an ambush of Israeli troops. The US president reportedly described efforts to stabilise Syria and said he was "trying to make it a better place." Independent verification of all quoted remarks is limited to media reports and briefings.

Rafah crossing and evacuations

Separately, Israeli authorities announced plans to permit some Palestinians to leave Gaza via the Rafah crossing into Egypt "in the coming days," describing departures as to be coordinated with Egypt and supervised by an EU mission. Egypt quickly denied agreeing to such a deal, stressing that ceasefire terms require the border to be open both ways. The Rafah crossing has been largely closed since May 2024, when Israeli forces took control of the area.

Humanitarian agencies say more than 16,500 severely wounded or ill Palestinians remain on lists awaiting evacuation for treatment abroad; since the ceasefire began, only about 235 patients have been transferred out through crossings, most of them children, according to the World Health Organization. Israeli officials say the crossing remains subject to security conditions and that Hamas must meet obligations under the ceasefire, including returning the bodies of remaining hostages.

Next steps

President Herzog’s decision will depend on legal opinions and political considerations. The reported phone call underlines the international dimensions of Mr Netanyahu’s legal and political challenges, and it comes as questions over the ceasefire’s implementation and humanitarian access continue to fuel regional tensions.