Israel is considering moving up Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned visit to the White House, as the United States ramps up pressure on his government to agree to a deal that could secure the release of hostages and bring an end to the war in Gaza after nearly 21 months of fighting.
Israeli officials say Netanyahu may arrive in Washington as early as Sunday for a Monday meeting with President Donald Trump — their third since Trump returned to office in January. On Monday evening a U.S. official said Trump plans to host Netanyahu on Monday. While the schedule is not official, officials involved in the planning said the visit could be key to shaping the next phase of the war.
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Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump at the White House earlier this year
(Photo: Saul Loeb/ AFP)
The discussions come as Israel’s security cabinet met for the second time in as many days to review the stalled negotiations and assess military options. Although the IDF reported significant progress in Gaza, including control over much of the Gaza Strip and the near-defeat of Hamas’ organized military brigades, the political echelon has yet to make final decisions on a potential deal.
A senior Israeli official told Saudi outlet Al-Hadath that these are “critical days” for negotiations. He said Trump and Netanyahu recently held another call in which the U.S. president urged the Israeli leader to prioritize a hostage deal over continued military operations in Gaza.
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Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a key Netanyahu adviser and liaison to Washington, arrived in the U.S. this week for talks with senior officials, including Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff. Witkoff is expected to visit the region—potentially Cairo—if negotiations make meaningful progress.
During a visit to Shin Bet headquarters on Sunday, Netanyahu said Israel had eliminated two major existential threats and was now entering a phase of new strategic opportunities. “First and foremost, to rescue the hostages,” he said. “We will also need to resolve the Gaza issue and defeat Hamas. I believe we will accomplish both.”
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Witkoff is expected to visit the region if negotiations make meaningful progress
(Photo: Yariv Katz/ Reuters/ Evelyn Hockstein, AP/ Alex Brandon, Paulina Patimer)
Although Israeli military officials believe Hamas has suffered devastating losses—including the death of roughly half its fighting force—political sources said no breakthrough had been achieved in the ongoing talks. One of the options on the table remains a renewed and expanded military campaign to increase pressure on the militant group.
Officials in Jerusalem believe that Israel’s recent military strikes against Iranian targets have weakened Hamas’s confidence in its main patron and could shift its calculations. “Hamas is watching closely,” a political source said. “We hope this will help bring about a deal, just as past blows to Hezbollah helped lead to hostage agreements.”