U.S. President Donald Trump was scheduled to welcome Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday morning amid talks for an emerging ceasefire deal with Hamas.
The Washington meeting—Netanyahu’s fourth since Trump returned to the White House in January—was scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. local time (6 p.m. in Israel). As part of their meeting, the two leaders will share a meal, followed by a joint press conference at 1:15 p.m.
Trump told Israel’s Channel 12 News on Sunday that talks on his plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip were in the final stages and that the deal could potentially open the door to broader peace in the Middle East.
The president stressed that Netanyahu backed his proposal, as have multiple Arab and Muslim nations that were part of the negotiations.
Hamas claimed in an official statement on Sunday that it had not received a new proposal for a ceasefire deal from the mediators.
On Sept. 23, Washington presented a 21-point plan to Arab leaders on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly annual general debate in New York, which would see a prompt release of the 48 Israeli hostages who remain in captivity in Gaza after 722 days, the transfer of power to an intermediary Arab-led government and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian enclave, according to a CNN report.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, Trump said that there was “a real chance for greatness in the Middle East,” adding: “All are on board for something special, for the first time ever. We will get it done.”
Netanyahu told Fox News on Sunday that Jerusalem was looking at Trump’s 21-point plan, but that the details hadn’t been “finalized.”
“We’re working with President Trump’s team, actually, as we speak. And I hope we can make it a go, because we want to free our hostages. We want to get rid of Hamas rule,” said the leader of the Jewish state.
Netanyahu spent much of Sunday meeting with advisers in his hotel in preparation for Monday’s White House meet, according to local media.
