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ALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. This will be their second meeting at the White House since Trump resumed his presidency.
The meeting, confirmed by both the White House and Netanyahu’s office on Saturday, comes amid heightened Israeli military activity as the country works to establish a new security corridor in Gaza, aimed at pressuring the Hamas militant organization. Israel’s defense minister has indicated plans to annex significant areas of this territory into designated security zones.
Last month, Israel broke a cease-fire with a surprise attack on Gaza, seeking to compel Hamas to agree to new terms for peace, a move that has received support from the White House. This escalation has resulted in hundreds of Palestinian casualties.
The Israeli government has pledged to continue its military operations in Gaza until Hamas returns hostages taken during the October 7, 2023, attack that sparked the current conflict, disarms, and withdraws from the area. Furthermore, Israel has halted all food, fuel, and humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza.
A statement from Netanyahu’s office on social media indicated that the agenda for the upcoming meeting with Trump will cover tariffs, efforts to secure hostage releases, Israel-Turkey relations, the Iranian threat, and ongoing matters with the International Criminal Court, which has imposed a 17% tariff on Israel.
Netanyahu is currently facing charges from the court related to alleged crimes against humanity in Gaza, while the U.S. is not a member of the court.
In February, Netanyahu was the first foreign leader invited to the White House during Trump’s second term, where discussions focused on the Israel-Hamas conflict and potential cease-fire strategies.
Following that meeting, Trump made a contentious proposal suggesting that displaced Palestinians be resettled outside Gaza, with the U.S. potentially transforming the region into “the Riviera of the Middle East.” This suggestion was met with significant backlash from Palestinians and criticism from Arab nations and human rights advocates.
The February meeting also allowed Netanyahu to emphasize the Trump administration’s strong support for Israel, while diverting attention from the mounting domestic political challenges he faces.
These pressures have escalated as protests grow among Israelis regarding the government’s failure to secure the return of hostages from Gaza and Netanyahu’s controversial decisions to dismiss key security officials. He is also facing increasing public demand for accountability regarding the lapses leading up to the October 7 attack.
In a poignant statement released on Saturday, families of hostages in Gaza appealed to Trump to “use all your influence to persuade Netanyahu to end this conflict and secure the return of our loved ones.”
“We are reaching out to President Trump: Netanyahu is mistaken if he believes that military pressure will yield the return of hostages. The only effective way to secure their release is to cease hostilities and facilitate their return immediately,” said Ifat Calderon, the aunt of hostage Ofer Calderon, during a press conference in Tel Aviv.
Hamas has indicated it will only consider releasing the remaining 59 hostages — 24 of whom are believed to still be alive — in exchange for the release of additional Palestinian prisoners, a lasting cease-fire, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The October 7 attack resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities in southern Israel, primarily among civilians. Initially, 251 hostages were taken, though many have since been freed through cease-fire agreements and negotiations.
In Gaza, over 50,000 Palestinians are reported to have died during Israel’s military operations, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. In contrast, Israel claims to have killed around 20,000 militants but has not provided supporting evidence for these figures.
Meanwhile, authorities have arrested two close associates of Netanyahu this week on allegations of receiving funds from Qatar to improve the Gulf Arab state’s image in Israel. Qatar plays a crucial role as a mediator in Hamas’ discussions with Israel, although it denies supporting the militant group. Netanyahu has dismissed these allegations as baseless.
The Prime Minister is also embroiled in a lengthy corruption trial and frequently speaks out against a so-called “deep state” that he claims is targeting him.
Trump has indicated that his first international trip in his second term may include visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and potentially the United Arab Emirates, possibly occurring as soon as May. He has expressed a desire to acknowledge Saudi Arabia for its investments in the U.S., stating that all three Gulf nations would be making commitments to create jobs in the U.S. during his visit.
—This report includes contributions from Associated Press writers Natalie Melzer in Jerusalem, Darlene Superville in Washington, and Cara Anna.
