Text: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu becae me the first foreign leader to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House since the latter's second term began last month.
The private meeting in the Oval Office was scheduled for 4pm local time and is expected to last approximately 15 minutes, and is to be followed by a bilateral meeting that will include Netanyahu and Trump's respective teams.
According to an itinerary shared with the media, the two leaders will host a joint press conference at 5:10 p.m., followed by a dinner in the State Dining Room of the White House around half an hour later.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters ahead of the meeting on Tuesday that Trump's invite to Netanyahu means that the U.S. president "will continue to stand strongly with Israel and that he is wholeheartedly committed to ensuring all of the hostages return home."
The talks will likely focus on starting the negotiations for stage two of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement, in which Israel is to withdraw entirely from Gaza in exchange for the release of the remaining living hostages and a permanent cessation of hostilities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, chief-of-staff Tzachi Braverman, military secretary Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and International Affairs Advisor Caroline Glick at Blair House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 4, 2025. Photo by Avi Ohayon/GPO.
After a "positive and friendly" meeting between the Israeli delegation and Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, on Monday, Jerusalem announced it was dispatching a delegation to Qatar this coming weekend to discuss the future of the ceasefire agreement.
Upon his return from the United States, Netanyahu is planning to convene Israel's Security Cabinet to outline his government’s stance on the second phase of the deal, shaping future negotiations, the PMO added.
Netanyahu, who touched down in Washington on Sunday, has extended his visit to the USA until Saturday night, his office announced on Monday morning, citing "many requests by U.S. officials who want to meet him."
The prime minister's Wednesday and Thursday itineraries include meetings with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson.
