According to two people familiar with the plans, President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are scheduled to meet for dinner Monday night to discuss a number of high-stakes Middle East issues, including the long-term future of Gaza and the possibility of Israel normalizing relations with its neighbors in the Persian Gulf.
Mr. Trump has stated that he is pressing for a cease-fire and hostage-release agreement between Israel and Hamas, which are now being discussed in Doha.
According to people who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the private meeting publicly, the two leaders are also expected to discuss the recent U.S. airstrikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran, a surgical effort amid a larger Israeli war on the country, as part of a broader conversation about reducing instability in the region.
Arriving in Washington just after 1 a.m. Monday, Mr. Netanyahu will first meet with Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, Mr. Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, before dining with Mr. Trump.
Since Mr. Trump took office for the second time in January, Mr. Netanyahu has visited the White House three times, more than any other foreign leader. According to both men’s associates, the two men are not personally close and have really long had suspicions of one another, but they have developed a professional connection out of necessity.
The consent of Hamas, which has a new head after Israel assassinated several of its top executives, is required for any captive release in Gaza.
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