U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to shift away from large-scale military operations in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria and begin moving toward diplomacy, according to senior Israeli officials quoted by Israel's Ynet News.

The appeal came during a phone call last Monday night, when Trump pressed Netanyahu to gradually de-escalate and start implementing civilian components of his “20-Point Plan” for Gaza, a framework the White House believes could open the door to a more durable end to fighting and potentially pave the way for further normalization deals. Netanyahu is expected to discuss the plan directly with Trump during a visit to Washington on December 28 or shortly afterward.

According to a senior security source, Netanyahu has been receiving similar guidance from top army commanders, who want to use the current lull to rebuild the military, modernize the force, and prepare for longer-term challenges. The Israeli army's General Staff, the official said, broadly supports aligning Israel’s approach with Washington’s recommendations for Gaza and with proposals emerging from the U.S.-run Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in Kiryat Gat.

In Lebanon, Syria and possibly Iran, many senior officials now believe Israel can secure most of its wartime objectives through diplomatic arrangements that formalize gains already achieved on the ground.

A key date is looming: December 31, when Trump’s ultimatum for the Lebanese government to begin dismantling Hezbollah’s arsenal expires. Israel has informed Beirut that if no disarmament process begins by that date, the Israeli army will escalate. Trump, however, is pushing hard to avoid such a confrontation.

Trump appears to be sketching out new postwar rules for the region. Under his approach, primary efforts in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria would shift to diplomacy, with Israel enforcing ceasefire terms and applying pressure on Hamas and Hezbollah mainly through limited, targeted airstrikes rather than ground campaigns.

The dismantling of militant arsenals—whether in Gaza or Lebanon—would be pursued through diplomatic pressure and mediated agreements, not deep military incursions into areas controlled by Hamas or Hezbollah. Each party, U.S. officials say, would be expected to take confidence-building steps.

Netanyahu’s goals diverge sharply. While Israel’s battlefield gains across Gaza, Lebanon and Syria—and against Iranian regional networks—give it leverage, Netanyahu still insists on achieving what he calls “total victory”: eliminating Hamas and Hezbollah’s military capabilities, demilitarizing Gaza and Lebanon, and stripping jihadist groups and heavy weapons from southwest Syria.