Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with President Donald Trump at the White House Monday as the president makes renewed calls for Israel to come to a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
“MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!! DJT,” wrote Trump in a post on Truth Social Sunday night.
The visit, which was confirmed anonymously by two U.S. administration officials to the Associated Press, comes over a week after Trump helped broker a ceasefire between Israel and Iran following a 12-day conflict that saw a barrage of Israeli and U.S. attacks on Iran’s nuclear program.
On Friday, Trump 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. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed the sentiment on Monday, saying that a ceasefire in Gaza was a top priority for the president.
“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 said. “He wants to save lives.”
Netanyahu also appeared to prioritize the release of the remaining 50 Israeli hostages in Gaza following the ceasefire with Iran.
“We fought bravely against Iran — and achieved a great victory. This victory opens up an opportunity for a dramatic expansion of the peace agreements,” Netanyahu said in a statement Thursday.
“Alongside the release of our hostages and the defeat of Hamas, there is a window of opportunity here that must not be missed. Not even a single day should be wasted,” he added.
The Jerusalem District Court also cancelled hearings scheduled this week for Netanyahu’s corruption trial, accepting a request by the Israeli leader over classified diplomatic and security grounds. The cancellation of the hearing comes days after Trump blasted the trial as a “ridiculous witch hunt.”
The planned visit by Netanyahu will follow a visit by Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer this week for talks with the White House on a potential Gaza ceasefire, Iran and other matters, according to the Associated Press.
It also comes as Israel has faced heightened scrutiny over the killings of Gazans at its aid distribution sites. Last week, Haaretz reported that Israeli soldiers said that they were ordered to shoot at unarmed Gazans seeking aid, although Netanyahu denied the allegations.
On Monday, dozens of people were killed across the Gaza Strip, including at least 11 in the area of a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution center, according to the Times of Israel.
Also on Monday, the Trump administration approved a new $510 million arms sale to Israel to resupply its military with bomb guidance kits for precision munitions.
Keep Jewish Stories in Focus.
(JEWISH REVIEW) has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
