US President Donald Trump has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House for a meeting on February 4, announced Netanyahu’s office on Tuesday.
The statement from the Israeli PM’s office said, “Prime Minister Netanyahu is the first foreign leader to be invited to the White House during President Trump’s second term.”
This will mark the first official visit by a foreign leader during Trump’s second term, signalling a gesture of support for Netanyahu, who recently played a key role in brokering a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza.
US President Donald Trump had said on Monday that he plans to speak to Benjamin Netanyahu and that the Israeli Prime Minister would be traveling to Washington to meet with him.
Trump, while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, did not give a date for the meeting but said it would take place “very soon.”
Netanyahu will fly to meet Trump even as he is recovering from the prostate removal surgery he underwent a month ago.
Meanwhile, President Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, has already started discussions on phase two of the Israel-Hamas hostage deal, reported The Jerusalem Post.
Witkoff is expected to arrive in Israel on Wednesday to discuss with PM Benjamin Netanyahu the second phase of the hostage deal, which will include the release of all the remaining 64 hostages from Hamas captivity, some of whom are confirmed to be dead.
As per the ceasefire deal signed, the negotiations are officially supposed to start only on Monday, day 16 of the truce.
Netanyahu has stated that Israel will oppose any deal that will officially end the war in Gaza and leave Hamas in power.
Netanyahu is reported to be upbeat over Trump’s recent statements proposing to move Gazans to Egypt and Jordan. The US president said he had discussed the issue with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and said, “We helped them a lot, and I’m sure he’d help us. He’s a friend of mine. I think he would do it, and Jordan would do it too.”
(With inputs from agencies)