Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, will meet with US President Donald Trump, whose agenda will include Iran and the paused conflict in Gaza.
According to sources, the leaders are scheduled to meet on Tuesday in the early afternoon. The meeting occurs as Hamas, which is supported by Israel, engages in indirect negotiations regarding the tense Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Ahead of the meeting, Trump said that discussions with Israel and other countries on the Middle East were “progressing” but offered no details.
The US leader admitted, however, that the ceasefire is uncertain. “I have no guarantees that the peace is going to hold”, he told reporters.
His Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who met with the Israeli leader on Monday, added: “We’re certainly hopeful”.
An Israeli negotiating team is scheduled to visit Qatar this weekend for second phase talks, according to Netanyahu’s office’s announcement on Tuesday. The team will discuss “technical details related to continuing to carry out” the agreement, it said in a statement.
Pressure
Trump has credited the signing of the ceasefire agreement with his January 20th assuring victory.
During the first phase, Hamas released 18 captives, Israel has halted its onslaught on the enclave and released hundreds of jailed Palestinians.
But the situation remains tense. Far-right opponents in the Israeli government are pressuring Netanyahu to resume fighting.
Meanwhile, he is likely to face pressure from Trump to hold fire. The ceasefire agreement is a component of a wider regional strategy, even though the US president has a vehement support for Israel.
Trump and Netanyahu have both stated that their goals are to bring Israel and Saudi Arabia into new regional arrangements in order to help build a bulwark against Iran.
However, Netanyahu’s unwavering opposition to any attempt at establishing a Palestinian state is a potential hindrance. He stated on the eve of the trip that he hopes the meeting will help further redraw the map of the area.
Saudi Arabia has stated that it will only support participation if the West Bank and Gaza have a viable Palestinian state are established.
Trump has already indicated a rise in his support for Israel, starting deliveries of 2, 000-pound bombs, and suggesting that Palestinians should be relocated from Gaza to neighboring nations like Egypt and Jordan. Iran will be at the top of his agenda, though.
Trump resigned from office in his first year, pulling a nuclear deal with Iran.
Former deputy assistant secretary of state for Israeli and Palestinian affairs Mira Resnick, a former deputy assistant secretary of state for Israeli and Palestinian affairs, told the AP news agency that Trump may have little patience for Netanyahu’s political woes if it interferes with the administration’s larger goals.
Source: Aljazeera
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