Netanyahu and Trump discuss hostage deal and Syria

He will meet with Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Monday, Ynet reported on Saturday night.

His visit comes as a senior Israeli official told the Hebrew news site that “significant progress” has been made in hostage negotiation efforts, suggesting that Hamas could be willing to drop some of its demands to reach an agreement. The official indicated that a deal could be reached within weeks.

Netanyahu was one of the first world leaders to speak with Trump after the latter’s election victory.

The phone conversation, which lasted 20 minutes, was described as “warm and cordial.” The two men were said to have “agreed to work together for Israel’s security and discussed the Iranian threat.”

Trump’s transition team is weighing two main options to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, including preventative airstrikes, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing four people familiar with the plans.

The military option was under “more serious review” in the wake of the collapse of Assad’s regime and Israel’s decapitation of Hezbollah’s leadership in Lebanon, according to the report.