Gaza ceasefire, Iran & more on agenda as Netanyahu heads to Washington DC

Amid talks of a fresh Gaza ceasefire , Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is heading to Washington, where he is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump on Monday. Many see the trip as a joint victory lap after the US-Israel strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities last month.

This will be the third time the Israeli premier will visit the White House since Trump returned to power. What makes it significant is that Netanyahu is heading to an election year. Hence, he would try to yield a vote bank back home with his visit to Washington.

However, things were awkward the last time Netanyahu was in the Oval Office in April. He sat beside Trump awkwardly while the POTUS announced that Washington would be engaging in “direct” talks with Iran in a last-ditch effort to rein in the country’s nuclear program. Interestingly, reports suggested that it was the same month Netanyahu attempted to convince Trump to launch an assault against Iran. However, he was snubbed by the American leader.

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Gaza Ceasefire on Trump’s mind

This time, Trump is most likely to be eager to advance a ceasefire deal for Gaza. The deal would entail Hamas releasing the remaining hostages and aiming to end the long war in the Coastal enclave, which was triggered by Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

In light of this, on Sunday, Israel sent negotiators to Qatar , a mediating country, to try to bridge differences with Hamas. The United States have been saying that it was also brokering talks between Israel and Syria that aim at restoring calm along their frontier.

Then there is also unfinished business with Iran . The two leaders are likely to discuss the 12-day conflict between Tehran and Tel Aviv. While speaking to his government this month, Netanyahu said he is expected to speak to the Trump administration about the Iran situation.

“These come in the wake of the great victory that we achieved,” Netanyahu said of Israel’s bombing campaign in Iran. “Taking advantage of the success is no less an important part of achieving the success,” he added.

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Another peculiar whammy for Netanyahu is that the trip allows him to postpone his cross-examination in his corruption trial, which Trump has blatantly called to be cancelled. Time is important in this regard since Israeli courts go on summer recess from July 21 until early September. Hence, Netanyahu’s trip to Washington is a Pandora’s box which is yet to be opened.