Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. This marks their first summit since Trump took office.
According to Reuters on the 2nd (local time), Prime Minister Netanyahu stated at the airport before his departure, "The decisions we made in the war have already changed the landscape of the Middle East."
Netanyahu further noted, "Our decisions and the courage of our soldiers have redrawn the map," adding, "I believe that by working closely with President Trump, we can redraw the map in a better direction."
Prime Minister Netanyahu has not visited the White House since his inauguration at the end of 2022 due to deteriorated relations with former U.S. President Joe Biden. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
On the 3rd, Prime Minister Netanyahu will meet Steve Witkoff, special envoy to the Middle East for President Donald Trump, to begin negotiations for a second stage of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The following day, he plans to discuss issues related to Israel's hostages and the Gaza Strip with President Trump.
Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas entered a six-week ceasefire starting from the 19th of last month, aiming to exchange 33 surviving hostages for 1,904 Palestinian detainees.
On the 16th day of the ceasefire, Israel, Hamas, and the mediating countries agreed to negotiate a second stage of the ceasefire in exchange for Israel completely withdrawing from the Gaza Strip, irrespective of the fate of all hostages. The third stage will consider permanent ceasefire and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.