In Palm Beach Gardens, Florida (AP), President Donald Trump planning to have a meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu On Monday, they would have their second meeting at the White House since Trump returned to office.
The visit, verified by a White House official on Saturday, coincides with Israel establishing a new security zone. Gaza To exert pressure on Hamas, Netanyahu’s Defense Minister stated that Israel might annex substantial portions of the area, incorporating them into what they refer as security zones. On Friday, Israeli assaults resulted in over a dozen fatalities in Gaza, following attacks that claimed at least 100 Palestinian lives the previous day.
In recent days, hundreds of additional lives were lost as Israel intensified its efforts aimed at compelling Hamas to free the captives taken during their assault on Israel back in October 2023.
Israel has committed to intensifying the conflict with Hamas until the armed organization releases the captives, dismantles its weapons, and vacates the area. Israel ended a ceasefire in March and has enforced an stop to all imports Of food, fuel, and humanitarian assistance.
The leaders are expected to focus on the latest Israeli bombardment of Gaza and new U.S. tariffs announced by Trump against Israel and other countries.
During Trump's first invite for his second term to a foreign leader, he called upon Netanyahu. The February 4th meeting aimed at addressing Israel's conflict with Hamas and outlining future actions following the implementation of a cease-fire agreement.
During a shared press briefing, Trump put forth an unexpected suggestion that uprooted Palestinians in Gaza could be permanently relocated beyond the borders, he proposed that the United States should assume "responsibility" for transforming the region into "the Mediterranean Coast of the Middle East." However, this notion was met with opposition from Palestinians who did not want to leave their homeland, and both Arab countries and human rights organizations strongly condemned the proposal.
Last month, Israel broke the truce with an unexpected artillery attack In Gaza following attempts to exert pressure on Hamas to agree to revised conditions for the truce, the White House backed this action. Additionally, Israel once more suspended all deliveries of provisions to the region.
The February gathering provided Netanyahu with an opportunity to underscore the Trump administration’s backing for Israel, justify the actions taken during the conflict, and divert attention away from domestic political challenges he was facing.
These pressures have intensified as Israelis demonstrate against the absence of an agreement to secure the release of remaining hostages from Gaza and criticize Netanyahu’s leadership. decides to dismiss the leader of the nation's internal safety organization Additionally, he is under pressure to acknowledge his failure in preventing the Hamas-organized assault on October 7, 2023, which ignited the conflict.
In a statement, family members of those taken hostage in Gaza implored President Trump to "utilize every resource at your disposal to exert pressure on Netanyahu to halt this conflict and return our loved ones home immediately."
Netanyahu is sought by the International Criminal Court For supposed offenses involving human rights violations in Gaza. The U.S. does not participate in the tribunal.
In his second term, Trump states that his initial international journey will encompass visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and potentially the United Arab Emirates along with "other locations." This travel might occur as early as May. Trump has mentioned his intention to acknowledge Saudi Arabia’s investments within the U.S., adding that these three nations from the Persian Gulf region plan to make pledges toward generating employment opportunities during his visit.
___
Associated Press writers Natalie Melzer in Jerusalem and Cara Anna provided additional reporting for this story.