Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has nominated U.S. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing his role in orchestrating regional peace efforts and recent joint military actions against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. The nomination was presented during a White House dinner, where the two leaders celebrated what they described as a major success in their coordinated strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Handing Trump the letter he said had already been submitted to the Nobel Committee, Netanyahu praised him as a peacemaker, declaring, “He’s forging peace as we speak, one country and one region after the other.” Trump, visibly moved, responded, “Coming from you, in particular, this is very meaningful.”

The dinner, held in the Blue Room of the White House and attended by senior advisers from both sides, also included serious discussions on the Gaza conflict. Trump and Netanyahu reviewed the latest developments in negotiations over a 60-day ceasefire proposal, which would include a phased release of hostages and expanded humanitarian aid to the territory.

Trump’s nomination for the peace prize comes as he continues to promote his record of brokering global truces - including ceasefires between Israel and Iran, India and Pakistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. His administration sees a potential resolution in Gaza as another cornerstone in his foreign policy legacy. “I’m stopping wars,” Trump said during the dinner. “And I hate to see people killed.”

While the ceremony had celebratory undertones, Netanyahu’s visit - his third this year - was also intended to strengthen diplomatic momentum. The leaders’ shared strike on Iran’s nuclear program, which the Pentagon said delayed Tehran’s capabilities by one to two years, has boosted both men’s positions. Former Israeli ambassador Michael Oren noted that the military action offered both leaders a strengthened hand in talks, and said Trump could use this leverage to press Netanyahu on Gaza, combining pressure with potential incentives, such as keeping the military option on the table if Iran attempts to rebuild.

Ceasefire talks, meanwhile, continued in Qatar with participation from both Israeli and Hamas negotiators. Israel accepted a new Qatari proposal last week, which aimed to meet one of Hamas’s core demands - that any ceasefire must lead to a full end to the war. Hamas responded positively but requested changes. Though Israel called these changes unacceptable, it still agreed to participate in proximity talks - typically the final stage before a formal agreement. Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, was expected to join the discussions later in the week.

Trump remained optimistic about the outcome, telling reporters he believed a deal to release hostages could be reached within days. “They want to meet and they want to have that ceasefire,” he said.

Netanyahu echoed that optimism, saying his meeting with Trump “can certainly help advance these results.” The evolving regional dynamics - shaped in part by the 12-day war between Israel and Iran - are widely seen as improving the odds of a ceasefire being finalized.

For Trump, achieving a Gaza truce is part of a broader vision that includes expanding the Abraham Accords. He hopes that bringing Saudi Arabia into the framework would lead other Arab and Muslim nations to follow suit. But Saudi leaders, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, have made it clear normalization with Israel is impossible while the war in Gaza continues - placing the ceasefire at the center of Trump’s wider ambitions.

Netanyahu, for his part, expressed confidence in regional prospects, stating, “I think we can work out a peace between us and the entire Middle East with President Trump’s leadership.” He suggested that a far-reaching peace, involving all of Israel’s neighbors, was within reach if both countries stayed aligned.

The talks also touched on Gaza’s future governance. Israel insists Hamas must not return to power, but what comes next remains uncertain. The Palestinian Authority’s role is under discussion, especially among Gulf states being courted to help finance Gaza’s reconstruction.

A more controversial piece of Trump’s Middle East strategy resurfaced during the dinner: his proposal to relocate Gaza’s Palestinian population and redevelop the strip as a luxury coastal area - a concept he once called the “Riviera of the Middle East.” The idea, which was met with backlash when first floated in February, has since faded from the public agenda but remains quietly present.

Asked whether the plan was still viable, Trump deferred to Netanyahu, who reframed it as a matter of personal freedom. “I think President Trump had a brilliant vision. It’s called free choice,” Netanyahu said. “You know, if people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave. It shouldn’t be a prison.”

With negotiations intensifying and momentum building, the dinner served as both a celebration of past achievements and a staging ground for the next phase of U.S.-Israeli diplomacy - one in which Trump, with Netanyahu’s vocal support, hopes to be recognized not just as a dealmaker, but as a Nobel laureate.