Netanyahu Says He Plans to Meet With Trump Next Week
The visit would come after Israel and Iran agreed to a cease-fire last week, ending their biggest and deadliest conflict, and as attention refocuses on efforts to achieve a truce in the nearly two-year-old war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly failed to produce a cease-fire, prolonging the suffering of more than two million Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the captivity of Israeli hostages. The two sides have not been able to agree on how long a cease-fire should last, with Hamas demanding a total end to the war and Mr. Netanyahu expressing interest in only a temporary truce until Hamas's military wing and government are dismantled.
Mr. Netanyahu, speaking at a meeting of government ministers on Tuesday, said that while in the United States, he planned to meet other senior Trump administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Steve Witkoff, Mr. Trump's special envoy for peace missions.
An Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the prime minister's schedule, said that Mr. Netanyahu planned to fly to Washington on Sunday and meet with Mr. Trump on Monday.
On Sunday, Mr. Trump publicly demanded progress on a deal in Gaza. 'MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!! DJT,' the president wrote on social media.
Some analysts have speculated that Mr. Netanyahu may now be willing to agree to end the war in Gaza, even if it risks far-right political allies leaving his governing coalition. Mr. Netanyahu, those analysts say, could feel that he is in a better position to campaign for re-election because of Israeli and American strikes on Iran's nuclear program.
Though the extent of the damage to Iranian nuclear facilities remains unclear, Mr. Netanyahu has portrayed the campaign as a success and his domestic popularity appears to have risen.
Since the cease-fire, Mr. Netanyahu has faced growing calls at home to secure an agreement to free the remaining hostages in Gaza. Up to 20 hostages abducted in the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7, 2023, are still believed to be alive, according to Israeli authorities. The remains of 30 others are also being held, the authorities said.
Humanitarian officials have also warned of increasing desperation among Palestinians in Gaza, who are struggling to obtain food aid amid deadly violence near distribution points and enduring miserable conditions in sweltering makeshift shelters.
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