Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to discuss current talks with Iran, the premier’s office said on Saturday night.
“The prime minister believes that any negotiations must include limiting [Iran’s] ballistic missiles and halting support for the Iranian axis,” the Prime Minister’s Office added.
Netanyahu had been expected to meet with Trump on Feb. 18, but has moved up his travel plans.
The statement was made in the wake of an Axios report that the White House is planning to hold the first meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 19.
“Nothing has been confirmed yet, but the administration is planning it and has started checking which leaders are able to attend,” said one source, who did not identify by name.
“It will be the first Board of Peace meeting and a fundraising conference for Gaza reconstruction,” a U.S. official was quoted as saying.
On Tuesday, Netanyahu met with Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, emphasizing that Israel will not compromise on its war aims in the Gaza Strip, and cautioning against trusting Iranian promises.
Netanyahu reiterated to Witkoff that Hamas must be disarmed and Gaza demilitarized before any reconstruction efforts begin, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
He also said that the Palestinian Authority could not play any role in administering the Gaza Strip, the statement added.
The Israeli government has remained adamant that the reconstruction phase of the Strip will begin only after Hamas lays down arms. Although a technocratic Palestinian government—the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG)—to run civil matters in Gaza has been established, it has been operating thus far from Egypt. The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Sinai had reopened on Feb. 1, with only a limited number of individuals entering or exiting.
Speaking about the latest round of talks with Tehran, Trump said on Feb. 6 that the parties held “very good talks” in Oman earlier in the day regarding the Iranian nuclear project.
“You have to get in position. We have plenty of time, if you remember Venezuela. We waited around for a while, and we’re in no rush,” the president told reporters when asked about a timeline for negotiations.
