President Trump will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday.
Leaders are expected to focus on the latest Israeli military operations in Gaza and the new US tariffs announced by Trump on Israel and other countries.
Netanyahu’s office later said in a statement that it received an invitation from Trump and confirmed it was scheduled to fly to the US on Sunday, with the two leaders saying it would also discuss “Israel-Turkish relations, Iran’s threat and the fight in the International Criminal Court.”
“The Prime Minister thanked him for his personal and warm relationship with President Trump and for inviting him to be the first leader to meet him after the global tariff levy.
This will be their second meeting in Trump’s second term. The two met last time Washington DC in FebruaryTrump He revealed his plan To allow the US to “take over Gaza” and turn it into the “Middle Eastern Riviera.”
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A meeting of the two leaders comes amid an intensification of attacks in Gaza, which stated that Israeli forces aimed to pressure Hamas to release the remaining hostages and ultimately expel extremist groups.
Israel announces new corridors
Meanwhile, Israel says it has deployed its troops in the newly established security corridor in southern Gaza. Netanyahu announced the new Morag Corridor on Saturday, suggesting that Israel would cut off the southern city of Rafa, where it had evacuated from other parts of Gaza.
A military statement on Saturday said 36th Division troops had been deployed in the corridors. It was not immediately clear how many people had unfolded or where the corridors were. Morag is the name of the Jewish settlement that once stood between Rafa and Khan Yunis, and Netanyahu suggested it would run between cities.
Maps published by Israeli media showed new corridors running the width of narrow coastal strips from east to west.
Netanyahu said it would become the “second Philadelphi corridor,” referring to the Gaza side of the border with Egypt, which has been under Israeli control since May last year.
Israel has also reaffirmed control of the Netzarim corridor, which blocks a third north of Gaza, including Gaza city from the rest of the strip. The Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors run from the Israeli border to the Mediterranean.
Hamas says the situation is “very dangerous” for hostages
Hamas was long designated as a terrorist organization by Israel and the United States before its brutal attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. The War in GazaOn Friday, Israel’s continued attacks in Gaza have created a “very dangerous” situation for hostages still held there. It warned that half of the living prisoners were in areas where Israeli forces ordered evacuation.
“Half of the Israelis (hospital hostages) are located in areas where Israeli occupation forces have recently requested evacuation,” Hamas Armed Wing spokesman Abu Obeida said in a statement. “We decided not to transfer these (hostages)…but (this situation) is extremely dangerous to their lives.”
Hamas says he will release only the remaining 59 hostages (believed to be alive) in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a permanent ceasefire and Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza. The group rejected requests to abandon their arms or leave the territory.
Israel issued a sweep evacuation order for parts of northern Gaza ahead of the expected expansion in ground operations. The UN Humanitarian Agency said about 280,000 Palestinians have been evacuated since Israel suddenly ended a ceasefire with Hamas, which was mediated by the US, Egypt and Qatar last month.
To put pressure on Hamas, Israel imposed a month’s lockdown on food, fuel and humanitarian aid. This left civilians facing acute shortages due to a decline in supply. Earlier this week, Israel said that during the six-week ceasefire, there was enough food in Gaza to keep around 2 million Palestinians for a long time.
The war took place on October 7, 2023, Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and 251 hostages, most of whom were released in ceasefire agreements and other transactions. Israel rescued eight living hostages and recovered dozens of bodies.
More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza as part of the Israeli attack, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. The ministry says more than half of the people killed were women and children. Israel says it killed around 20,000 extremists without providing evidence.
Jennifer Jacobs contributed to this report.
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