PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — President Donald Trump plans to satisfy with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday in what could be their second White Home sit-down since Trump’s return to workplace.
The go to, confirmed by a White Home official and Netanyahu’s workplace Saturday, comes as Israel deploys troops in a brand new safety hall throughout Gaza to stress the Hamas militant group. Netanyahu’s protection minister has stated Israel will seize massive areas of the territory and add them to its so-called safety zones.
Final month, Israel shattered the cease-fire with a shock bombardment in Gaza after making an attempt to stress Hamas to just accept proposed new phrases for the cease-fire, a transfer supported by the White Home. A whole bunch of Palestinians have since been killed.
Israel has pledged to escalate the struggle in Gaza till Hamas returns the remaining hostages seized within the Oct. 7, 2023, assault that sparked the struggle, disarms and leaves the territory. Israel additionally has halted all provides of meals, gas and humanitarian assist into Gaza.
Netanyahu’s workplace in an announcement on social media stated he and Trump would talk about “the tariff situation, the efforts to return our hostages, Israel-Turkey relations, the Iranian menace and the battle in opposition to the Worldwide Legal Courtroom.” Israel faces a 17% tariff.
Netanyahu is needed by the courtroom for alleged crimes in opposition to humanity in Gaza. The U.S. isn’t a member of the courtroom.
In February, Netanyahu grew to become the primary overseas chief invited to the White Home throughout Trump’s second time period. Their assembly centered on Israel’s struggle with Hamas and the subsequent steps as a cease-fire deal took maintain.
At a joint information convention afterward, Trump made the shock proposal that displaced Palestinians in Gaza be completely resettled outdoors the territory and the USA take “possession” in redeveloping the realm into “the Riviera of the Center East.” Palestinians objected to leaving their homeland, and Arab nations and rights teams sharply criticized the thought.
That February assembly gave Netanyahu an opportunity to remind the world of the Trump administration’s assist for Israel, defend the conduct of the struggle and distract from political pressures again residence.
These pressures have solely grown as Israelis protest each the shortage of a deal to convey remaining hostages residence from Gaza and Netanyahu’s strikes to fireplace the pinnacle of the nation’s home safety company and its lawyer normal. He additionally faces calls to just accept accountability for his function in failing to stop the Oct. 7. assault.
In an announcement Saturday, relations of hostages held in Gaza pleaded with Trump to “please use all of your energy to stress Netanyahu to finish this struggle and produce our hostages again now.”
“We’re addressing President Trump: Netanyahu is mendacity when he says that army stress will convey again the abductees. The one solution to shortly return all of the abductees is to finish the struggle and return them multi function fell swoop,” Ifat Calderon, aunt of hostage Ofer Calderon, stated in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Hamas says it is going to solely launch the remaining 59 hostages — 24 of whom are believed to be alive — in change for the discharge of extra Palestinian prisoners, a long-lasting cease-fire and an Israeli pullout from Gaza.
The Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel killed about 1,200 folks, principally civilians. Some 251 hostages had been taken, most of them since launched in cease-fire agreements and different offers.
Greater than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza as a part of Israel’s offensive, in keeping with Gaza’s Well being Ministry, which doesn’t say whether or not these killed are civilians or combatants. Israel says it has killed round 20,000 militants, with out offering proof.
In the meantime, police arrested two of Netanyahu’s shut associates this week on suspicion of accepting cash from Qatar to advertise a optimistic picture of the Gulf Arab state in Israel. Qatar is a key mediator for Hamas in its negotiations with Israel however denies backing the militant group. Netanyahu says the case is baseless.
The prime minister can also be the topic of a long-running corruption trial and often rails in opposition to a “deep state” that he alleges is out to get him.
Trump says the primary overseas journey of his second administration will embrace stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and presumably the United Arab Emirates, and “different locations.” The journey might come as quickly as Might. Trump has stated he desires to reward Saudi Arabia for its funding within the U.S. and that every one three Gulf international locations could be making commitments to creating jobs within the U.S. throughout his journey.
—Related Press writers Natalie Melzer in Jerusalem, Darlene Superville in Washington and Cara Anna contributed to this report.
