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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet meet with US President Donald Trump on Feb. 4 in Washington, DC, the prime minister’s office said Tuesday. The visit will make the Israeli leader the first foreign head of state to visit Washington since Trump’s swearing-in.
The announcement comes as negotiators struggle to finalize a second phase to extend the fragile ceasefire in Gaza.
After the initial six-week pause in fighting, the second stage could see a permanent ceasefire, the return of a further 60 hostages still held in Gaza by Hamas, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the enclave, although the exact terms remain unclear.
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While in DC, the Israeli leader is expected to discuss Trump’s proposal to “clean out” Gaza and relocate Palestinian refugees to neighboring countries like Egypt and Jordan during the territory’s reconstruction — an idea both Arab countries and Palestinian leaders have firmly rebuffed.