Netanyahu Will Meet Trump in Washington
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel is set to meet with President Trump at the White House on Monday, according to a White House official, in the second such visit by the Israeli leader since the new administration began in January.
Mr. Netanyahu will arrive in Washington after renewing Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza late last month, despite efforts by Mr. Trump’s aides to broker a new truce to stop the fighting there and free more hostages.
A spokesman for Mr. Netanyahu did not respond to a request for comment. The Israeli prime minister has been in Hungary on a state visit, where he met with the country’s leader, Viktor Orban.
During Mr. Netanyahu’s last visit, Mr. Trump described a vision for Gaza that involved a U.S. takeover and the mass exit of Palestinians from the enclave. Mr. Netanyahu has since issued a call for what he calls voluntary emigration by Gazans, which critics have denounced as effectively forced displacement.
Israeli forces have been steadily bombarding Gaza and advancing deeper into the enclave since the war resumed in late March. Israel has also barred aid from entering Gaza in an apparent attempt to pressure Hamas, leading to fears of a worsening humanitarian crisis for Gaza’s civilians.
The Trump administration has thrown its weight behind Israel, blaming Hamas for the return to fighting. Hamas has accused Israel of overturning the cease-fire that Mr. Trump’s aides had helped broker.
