Netanyahu and Trump meeting to focus on Gaza ceasefire deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected on Tuesday to become the first foreign leader to visit the White House since Donald Trump's return to office.

The two leaders are set to discuss the state of the current ceasefire between Israel and Hamas Islamists in Gaza and explore paths toward ending the conflict altogether.

Prior to his arrival, Netanyahu's office announced that he would dispatch a delegation to participate in a new round of negotiations in Doha, Qatar, later this week.

"Israel is preparing for the working-level delegation to leave for Doha at the end of this week in order to discuss technical details related to the continued implementation of the agreement," said a statement released after Netanyahu met with Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.

That announcement comes on the heels of a recent Hamas statement confirming its readiness to enter negotiations mediated by the US, Egypt and Qatar.

Phase two of the ceasefire would see the release of all remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas as well as seeking agreement on concrete steps to end the conflict that began on October 7, 2023, with a Hamas attack on Israel that killed some 1,200 people and saw nearly 250 more abducted.

This article will be updated later this evening. Please check back for updates.

Edited by: Roshni Majumdar