Benjamin Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime minister of Israel since its inception.
Born in Tel Aviv on October 21, 1949, he grew up in Jerusalem before moving with his family to Pennsylvania during his high school years, where his father taught history. In 1967 Netanyahu returned to Israel and joined the IDF's Sayeret Matkal special forces unit, where he served until 1973.
He took part in many military operations, including a 1972 rescue mission of hostages in a hijacked Sabena airplane, during which he was shot in the shoulder. Netanyahu finished his military service in 1972, but returned to serve in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, after which he was promoted to the rank of Captain.
His brother Yonatan "Yoni," an IDF officer, was killed during Operation Entebbe in 1976 at the Entebbe Airport in Uganda where Israelis were being held hostage. His was the only death resulting from the mission.
He has degrees in architecture and business management from MIT. He also studied political science at MIT and Harvard University. He served as Israel's ambassador to the UN from 1984-1988, and as Minister of Foreign Affairs under Ariel Sharon's government.
In 1993 Netanyahu was elected Likud party chairman and served as the leader of the opposition until being elected prime minister in 1996. In 2009, he was elected prime minister for the second time, in January 2013 a third, and in March 2015 a fourth.
He is married to Sara Netanyahu with whom he has two children, Yair and Avner.
In 2018, the Mossad stole Iran's nuclear archive. Netanyahu later presented the information to the international community. Netanyahu strongly opposes a nuclear deal with Iran.
Under the rotation government set by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, Netanyahu serves as the leader of the opposition.
While mentioning "a future for Gaza" and a "future for peace," Netanyahu did not speak of Trump's plans for the future of the strip.
If an Israeli leader is seen as too compromising or left-leaning, the public won’t tolerate a more conciliatory approach from Israel to other Arab countries.
DIPLOMATIC AFFAIRS: Trump’s bombshell proposal on Gaza challenges diplomatic norms, forcing global leaders to rethink Middle East strategy.
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the court.
The Arab world has no real interest in the people of Gaza, so while Trump’s idea is radical, it should not be dismissed as unrealistic.
PMO takes 'very seriously' Hamas's delay in providing list of hostages to be released • Hamas concerned about Palestinians emigrating from Gaza
"The Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have a lot of land over there," he said.
Gallant has claimed earlier execution could have eliminated thousands of Hezbollah terrorists, while Netanyahu defends the delay.
A major topic of discussion was legislative action against the International Criminal Court, with Senate leaders pledging to advance a bill aimed at countering the court.
Trump's ideas for the future of Gaza have been met with significant backlash - most notably his call to evacuate Palestinians from the enclave and relocate them to Egypt and Jordan.