Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, met several times with President Trump, amid rising hopes of a cease-fire in Gaza, but there are still obstacles to a truce with Hamas.

© Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times

Prolonging the Gaza war helped the Israeli prime minister forestall a political reckoning.

© Ziv Koren/Polaris, for The New York Times

Secret meetings, altered records, ignored intelligence: the inside story of the prime minister’s political calculations since Oct. 7.

© Ziv Koren/Polaris, for The New York Times

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has avoided a truce in Gaza. Boosted by his Iran campaign, he can negotiate from strength.

© Pool photo by Jack Guez