President Donald Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks at the White House next Monday as the U.S. leader steps up his push on the Israeli government and Hamas to broker a ceasefire and hostage agreement and bring about an end to the war in Gaza.
The impending visit was confirmed by two U.S. administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly on it.
The trip will be Netanyahu's third visit to the White House since Trump returned to office in January, and it comes after the United States inserted itself into Israel's war against Iran by attacking Iranian nuclear sites . After brokering a ceasefire between the two countries, Trump has signaled that he's turning his attention to bringing a close to the fighting between Israel and Hamas.
Trump on Friday told reporters that "we think within the next week we're going to get a ceasefire" in Gaza, but didn't offer any further explanation for his optimism.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that Trump and administration officials were in constant communication with Israeli leadership and that bringing about an end to the Gaza conflict is a priority for Trump.