Us President Donald Trump has said that negotiations on the future of the Middle East are “progressing” as his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, arrived in Washington.
The president told journalists that there are “some very big meetings” on the agenda for the pair’s sit-down tomorrow, with issues including the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire and Saudi-Israel normalisation reportedly on the table.
Netanyahu’s arrival in the US, as the first foreign leader to visit in Trump’s second term, was marked by a reception at Blair House, the official guest residence of the White House, where it was noted that this was his 14th trip to the city —the most by any foreign leader since the residence’s establishment in the 19th century.
In Washington, Netanyahu is today set to meet with Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy to the Middle East, before his high-stakes talks with Trump.
Before leaving Israel, Netanyahu spoke at Ben-Gurion International Airport and reiterated the significance of the visit. He described it as a “testimony to the strength of the Israeli-American alliance” and his close relationship with Trump.
He also outlined the key areas for their discussions, including Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas, efforts to secure the release of hostages held by the terrorist group and strategies to counter the Iranian-led terror axis.
“The decisions we made in the war have already changed the face of the Middle East,” Netanyahu stated.
“Our decisions and the courage of our soldiers have redrawn the map. But I believe that working closely with President Trump, we can redraw it even further and for the better.”
He concluded: “I believe that we can strengthen security, broaden the circle of peace and achieve a remarkable era of peace through strength.”
Meanwhile, on Saturday evening, Netanyahu held a call with Witkoff during which the two agreed to begin negotiations for the second stage of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal in Washington.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that discussions would take place on Monday, marking the 16th day of the ceasefire agreement, during which Israeli positions would be discussed.
Later in the week, Witkoff is scheduled to meet with Qatar’s prime minister and senior Egyptian officials to advance the negotiations, including setting dates for delegations to depart for further talks.
Additionally, Jordan’s King Abdullah II received an invitation from President Trump to meet at the White House on February 11.
The Royal Hashemite Court confirmed the meeting, which comes after Trump’s call on January 25 for Arab nations, including Jordan and Egypt, to accept more Palestinians from Gaza – a proposal both Abdullah and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi have rejected.
When asked on January 30 how he planned to convince Jordan and Egypt to take in more Palestinians, Trump held firm, saying, “They will do it. They will do it. They’re gonna do it, OK. We do a lot for them, and they’re gonna do it,” referring to the billions in US economic aid provided to both countries since the 1950s.
