Netanyahu seeks strong backing from Trump, as first foreign leader to visit
Benjamin Netanyahu is the first foreign leader invited to the White House since Donald Trump's second term began (file photo)
After his arrival in Washington, the Israeli ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, who took up his post one week ago, described this as "an historic visit" on X. "The US-Israel friendship is strong and is getting stronger," he added.
Trump has claimed credit for sealing the initial six-week ceasefire deal halting 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas. So far, this has led to 13 Israeli and five Thai hostages being freed and 583 Palestinian prisoners released in exchange.
However, Netanyahu - facing a struggle for his political survival - has repeatedly stated that the existing Gaza deal is for a temporary ceasefire and that Israel has reserved "the right to return to fighting" against Hamas, saying this would have US backing.
Already one of the veteran Israeli PM's far-right allies has quit his coalition over what he described as a "reckless" deal. Another has threatened to leave if the military offensive does not resume. If he left, the government would lose its majority.
Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have been allowed to return to their home areas in northern Gaza
On Monday, Netanyahu is due to have talks with the US Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who emerged as a key mediator - working with Qatar and Egypt - to secure the truce which began on 19 January.
If all continues to go to plan, a total of 33 hostages held by Hamas and another armed group, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, are meant to be released by 1 March, in exchange for some 1,900 Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
Already the agreement has led to a major surge in desperately needed humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory and the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces.
The sensitive next stage of the ceasefire is supposed to see a more permanent end to the war and the release of the remaining hostages seized in the deadly Hamas assault on 7 October 2023. Some 251 people were taken hostage and about 1,200 others killed in that attack. Israel's military offensive which followed has killed at least 47,400 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.
FULL ARTICLE AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62e7d6r08ro
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