Netanyahu traveling to US for talks with Trump
2 Min Read
Netanyahu heads to the US as the first foreign official to meet Trump post-inauguration, amid ceasefires in Lebanon and Gaza and controversy over war crimes allegations.
-
President Donald Trump arrives at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Fla., on January 31, 2025, en route to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach. (AP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to arrive in the United States on Sunday morning, becoming the first foreign official to meet with US President Donald Trump after his inauguration.
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office previously announced that Trump and Netanyahu would meet at the White House on February 4.
Netanyahu and Trump plan to address the ongoing situation in the Gaza Strip, the issue of Israeli captives, the confrontation with elements of the Axis of Resistance, and other key topics during their upcoming meeting.
Before leaving for the United States, Netanyahu agreed with US Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, to initiate negotiations on the second phase of a ceasefire deal with the Palestinian movement Hamas during their meeting in Washington next Monday.
This means that negotiations on the second phase of the agreement will commence on the 16th day of the first phase's implementation during which 18 Israeli captives were returned to the occupied territory from the Gaza Strip.
The negotiations will occur amid Trump's recent decision to lift the US ban on delivering heavy 2,000-pound bombs to "Israel."
Late last month, Trump invited Netanyahu, marking a significant concession to a key US ally wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes.
"It will be my honor to host you as my first foreign leader during my second term," the letter states.
The innovation came a week after Trump suggested that Gaza could be "just cleaned out" and that 1.5 million people be mass expelled to other Arab countries—comments widely interpreted as endorsing ethnic cleansing.
The ICC has accused Netanyahu of "targeting civilian populations" and using "starvation as a method of warfare" during 15 months of brutal Israeli aggression on Gaza.
Over 120 ICC member states, including most of Europe, are legally obligated to arrest Netanyahu if he enters their territory. However, the US is not a party to the ICC treaty. Republicans have introduced legislation to sanction the ICC over the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant, but Democrats blocked the measure on Tuesday.
