Netanyahu will visit the White House next Monday as Trump presses for a ceasefire in Gaza
The impending visit was confirmed by two U.S. administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly on it.
The trip will be Netanyahu's third visit to the White House since Trump returned to office in January, and it comes after the United States inserted itself into Israel's war against Iran by attacking Iranian nuclear sites. After brokering a ceasefire between the two countries, Trump has signaled that he's turning his attention to bringing a close to the fighting between Israel and Hamas.
Trump on Friday told reporters that "we think within the next week we're going to get a ceasefire" in Gaza, but didn't offer any further explanation for his optimism.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that Trump and administration officials were in constant communication with Israeli leadership and that bringing about an end to the Gaza conflict is a priority for Trump.
"It's heartbreaking to see the images that have come out from both Israel and Gaza throughout this war, and the president wants to see it end," Leavitt added. "He wants to save lives."
Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer is in Washington this week for talks with senior administration officials on a Gaza ceasefire, Iran and other matters.
Talks between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly faltered over a major sticking point -- whether the war should end as part of any ceasefire agreement. About 50 hostages remain captive in Gaza, with less than half believed to be alive.
With Netanyahu's visit, the timing of which was first reported by Axios, Trump will embrace the Israeli leader while continuing to push back against skeptical questions from Democratic lawmakers and others about how far U.S. and Israeli strikes have set back Iran's nuclear program.
A preliminary report issued by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, meanwhile, said the strikes did significant damage to the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan sites, but did not totally destroy the facilities.
Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said on CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday that the three Iranian sites with "capabilities in terms of treatment, conversion and enrichment of uranium have been destroyed to an important degree." But, he added, "some is still standing," and that because capabilities remain, "if they so wish, they will be able to start doing this again." He said assessing the full damage comes down to Iran allowing inspectors access.
Trump in recent days has also inserted himself into Israeli domestic affairs, calling for charges against Netanyahu in his ongoing corruption trial to be thrown out. He has condemned the trial as a "WITCH HUNT" and vowed that the United States will be the one who "saves" Netanyahu from serious corruption charges.
The decision by Trump to plunge himself into one of Israel's most heated debates has unnerved some in its political class.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration on Monday approved a new half-billion-dollar arms sale to Israel to resupply its military with bomb guidance kits for precision munitions.
The State Department said the sale is worth $510 million. It includes more than 7,000 guidance kits for two different types of Joint Direct Attack Munitions, or JDAMs.
The deal is relatively small given that the U.S. provides Israel with more than $3 billion annually in military aid. But Israel has relied on JDAMs and other related US weaponry in its war against Hamas in Gaza and its recent strikes against Iran.
"The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability," the department said in a statement. "This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Mainichi
2 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Japan, US, Australia, India to boost cooperation on Indo-Pacific
WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- The top diplomats of Japan, the United States, Australia and India will hold a four-way meeting on Tuesday to step up cooperation on ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific. The meeting in Washington, hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, is seen as part of efforts to lay the groundwork for a summit of the so-called Quad grouping that India is due to host in its capital New Delhi this fall. The Quad is not a security alliance, but it has often been regarded as a counterweight to China's growing influence in the region, with its areas of cooperation expanding rapidly, ranging from maritime security and infrastructure to health protection and emerging technologies. Rubio, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar last met together in January, just a day after Donald Trump began his second presidency. At the time, they released a joint statement saying that the countries are "committed to strengthening regional maritime, economic, and technology security in the face of increasing threats, as well as promoting reliable and resilient supply chains." Without singling out any country, they also voiced strong opposition to any unilateral actions that attempt to change the status quo "by force or coercion." The birth of the grouping dates back to when the countries coordinated emergency responses and humanitarian aid following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. The Quad was elevated to the foreign ministerial level in 2019, during Trump's first presidency, before being boosted to leader level in 2021 under his successor Joe Biden. Despite Trump's skepticism about tackling global and regional challenges multilaterally, he has consistently placed great importance on the Quad framework, and it is likely that his first trip to Asia during his second term will coincide with this year's four-way summit. On the sidelines of the meeting on Tuesday, Iwaya is also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Rubio, Wong and Jaishankar.
The Mainichi
7 hours ago
- The Mainichi
The suspension of Thailand's prime minister over a leaked phone call stirs familiar turmoil
BANGKOK (AP) -- The Constitutional Court's suspension of Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has raised questions about whether her family's political comeback last year would end with another downfall. Paetongtarn was the third prime minister in her family, after her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, a telecom billionaire who has been one of Thailand's top political operators, and her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, who was the country's first female prime minister. Thaksin was ousted by a military coup in 2006 and Yingluck by a court ruling in 2014. Thaksin remained beloved after his ouster among voters who saw in him and his allies a government that looked after their interests. While campaigning in 2022, Paetongtarn acknowledged her family ties but insisted she was not her father's proxy. "It's not the shadow of my dad. I am my dad's daughter, always and forever, but I have my own decisions," she said. She also said she hoped her government would be able to "build opportunity and quality of life" and "make the country go forward." Paetongtarn was suspended Tuesday by the court pending an ethics investigation a leaked phone call with senior Cambodian leader Hun Sen that was perceived as damaging to Thailand's interests and image. Eroding trust capped by a diplomatic blunder Her critics have said Paetongtarn's government has achieved little. Marriage equality became law but was initiated under her predecessor. Controls on cannabis were retightened after public backlash over decriminalization, but the move and its enforcement were called rushed and confusing. Her critics also cited unsatisfactory outcomes in other Pheu Thai party policies, like unequal minimum wage increases, constant changes in a cash handout program and the stalled and controversial legalization of casinos. They also noted the lack of progress in tariffs talks with the United States. But analysts see the leaked call following border tensions with Cambodia to be the most disastrous event by far. The outrage has centered on Paetongtarn's comments about an outspoken Thai army commander and the perception that she was trying to appease Hun Sen. Paetongtarn apologized but also denied that she had damaged the country. She ignored calls for her to resign or dissolve Parliament to take responsibility, which critics saw as an attempt by the Pheu Thai party to cling to power. Napon Jatusripitak, a political science researcher at Singapore's ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, said her response seemed "totally disconnected from political reality" and that the scandal has exposed "her leadership failures and fuels accusations that she prioritizes family interests over national welfare." Adoration for the Shinawatra cools Her father, Thaksin, is believed to be the key decision maker behind Pheu Thai, now led by Paetongtarn. Time and again, Thaksin-backed parties have prevailed in national elections but could not stay in office after legal rulings and destabilizing street protests engineered by Thaksin's die-hard foes. But in 2023, Thaksin alienated many of his old supporters with what looked like a self-serving deal with his former conservative opponents. It allowed his return from exile and his party to form the new government, while sidelining the progressive Move Forward Party, which finished first in a national election but was seen by the conservative establishment as a greater threat. Now with the current crisis, things could drastically change for the Shinawatra family. "In light of the recent controversy, the Shinawatra spell has been broken. The only viable Shinawatra scion is now tainted," Napon said. "It would be an understatement to say that the Shinawatra name no longer guarantees electoral success." And not everything has been squared away with her family's enemies. Yingluck remains in exile, and legal problems -- arguably politically inspired -- could send her to prison if she returns to Thailand. Thaksin also still faces some legal challenges. Thailand's royalist establishment has long been disturbed that Thaksin's populist policies appeared to threaten their status and that of the monarchy at the heart of Thai identity. Paetongtarn now also faces protests by familiar faces from the same conservative, pro-royalist group that opposed her father. "History seems to be repeating itself in a way. Thailand seems trapped in a depressingly familiar cycle where Shinawatra-led governments come to power, only to face mounting pressure from traditional power centers, street protests, and extraparliamentary interventions that ultimately force them from office," Napon said. Paetongtarn, 38, is the youngest of Thaksin's three children. She was an executive in a hotel business run by her family before making her public entry into politics in 2021 when the Pheu Thai party named her to lead an advisory committee. She has two children with her husband, Pitaka Suksawat, who was a commercial pilot before he began working in one of the Shinawatras' real estate ventures.
Yomiuri Shimbun
8 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
The Suspension of Thailand's Prime Minister over a Leaked Phone Call Stirs Familiar Turmoil
BANGKOK (AP) — The Constitutional Court's suspension of Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has raised questions about whether her family's political comeback last year would end with another downfall. Paetongtarn was the third prime minister in her family, after her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, a telecom billionaire who has been one of Thailand's top political operators, and her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, who was the country's first female prime minister. Thaksin was ousted by a military coup in 2006 and Yingluck by a court ruling in 2014. Thaksin remained beloved after his ouster among voters who saw in him and his allies a government that looked after their interests. While campaigning in 2022, Paetongtarn acknowledged her family ties but insisted she was not her father's proxy. 'It's not the shadow of my dad. I am my dad's daughter, always and forever, but I have my own decisions,' she said. She also said she hoped her government would be able to 'build opportunity and quality of life' and 'make the country go forward.' Paetongtarn was suspended Tuesday by the court pending an ethics investigation a leaked phone call with senior Cambodian leader Hun Sen that was perceived as damaging to Thailand's interests and image. Eroding trust capped by a diplomatic blunder Her critics have said Paetongtarn's government has achieved little. Marriage equality became law but was initiated under her predecessor. Controls on cannabis were retightened after public backlash over decriminalization, but the move and its enforcement were called rushed and confusing. Her critics also cited unsatisfactory outcomes in other Pheu Thai party policies, like unequal minimum wage increases, constant changes in a cash handout program and the stalled and controversial legalization of casinos. They also noted the lack of progress in tariffs talks with the United States. But analysts see the leaked call following border tensions with Cambodia to be the most disastrous event by far. The outrage has centered on Paetongtarn's comments about an outspoken Thai army commander and the perception that she was trying to appease Hun Sen. Paetongtarn apologized but also denied that she had damaged the country. She ignored calls for her to resign or dissolve Parliament to take responsibility, which critics saw as an attempt by the Pheu Thai party to cling to power. Napon Jatusripitak, a political science researcher at Singapore's ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, said her response seemed 'totally disconnected from political reality' and that the scandal has exposed 'her leadership failures and fuels accusations that she prioritizes family interests over national welfare.' Adoration for the Shinawatra cools Her father, Thaksin, is believed to be the key decision maker behind Pheu Thai, now led by Paetongtarn. Time and again, Thaksin-backed parties have prevailed in national elections but could not stay in office after legal rulings and destabilizing street protests engineered by Thaksin's die-hard foes. But in 2023, Thaksin alienated many of his old supporters with what looked like a self-serving deal with his former conservative opponents. It allowed his return from exile and his party to form the new government, while sidelining the progressive Move Forward Party, which finished first in a national election but was seen by the conservative establishment as a greater threat. Now with the current crisis, things could drastically change for the Shinawatra family. 'In light of the recent controversy, the Shinawatra spell has been broken. The only viable Shinawatra scion is now tainted,' Napon said. 'It would be an understatement to say that the Shinawatra name no longer guarantees electoral success.' And not everything has been squared away with her family's enemies. Yingluck remains in exile, and legal problems — arguably politically inspired — could send her to prison if she returns to Thailand. Thaksin also still faces some legal challenges. Thailand's royalist establishment has long been disturbed that Thaksin's populist policies appeared to threaten their status and that of the monarchy at the heart of Thai identity. Paetongtarn now also faces protests by familiar faces from the same conservative, pro-royalist group that opposed her father. 'History seems to be repeating itself in a way. Thailand seems trapped in a depressingly familiar cycle where Shinawatra-led governments come to power, only to face mounting pressure from traditional power centers, street protests, and extraparliamentary interventions that ultimately force them from office,' Napon said. Paetongtarn, 38, is the youngest of Thaksin's three children. She was an executive in a hotel business run by her family before making her public entry into politics in 2021 when the Pheu Thai party named her to lead an advisory committee. She has two children with her husband, Pitaka Suksawat, who was a commercial pilot before he began working in one of the Shinawatras' real estate ventures.
