Netanyahu visits Trump as uncertainty looms over Gaza ceasefire | EUROtoday

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Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has travelled to Washington for a gathering with Donald Trump, turning into the primary international chief to go to the brand new US president.

The go to comes as uncertainty looms over the second part of the Gaza ceasefire, which is meant to start on Monday.

Mr Netanyahu emphasised his private relationship with Mr Trump whereas looking for readability about his stance relating to the ceasefire, as his coalition companions pushed for a renewed offensive.

“The decisions we made in the war have already changed the face of the Middle East,” he mentioned on the airport earlier than his departure. “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.”

Mr Netanyahu, who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for alleged conflict crimes in Gaza, had a tense relationship with Mr Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden and had not been to the White House since resuming workplace in late 2022.

In a press release launched forward of his departure on Sunday, Mr Netanyahu mentioned he and Mr Trump would talk about “victory over Hamas, achieving the release of all our hostages and dealing with the Iranian terror axis in all its components”.

He said that by working collectively, they might “strengthen security, broaden the circle of peace, and achieve a remarkable era of peace through strength”.

Mr Netanyahu mentioned being the primary international chief to fulfill Mr Trump since his return to the White House was “telling”.

“I think it’s a testimony to the strength of the Israeli-American alliance,” he mentioned.

Mr Netanyahu is going through rising stress from his coalition companions to renew the conflict on Gaza as soon as the primary part of the ceasefire ends in early March. He has reaffirmed Israel’s dedication to securing the return of all hostages taken through the Hamas assault in October 2023.

After Trump gained the US presidency for the second time, Mr Netanyahu had mentioned the Republican chief had made “history’s greatest comeback”.

“Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America,” he mentioned in a press release, which was echoed by the leaders of the nationalist non secular events in his coalition.

The Palestinian militant group Hamas, which has been preventing Israel for greater than a 12 months in Gaza, mentioned the election was a matter for the American folks, but it surely known as for an finish to the “blind support” for Israel from the US.

“We urge Trump to learn from Biden’s mistakes,” Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri informed Reuters on the time.

Additional reporting by companies.