Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel traveled to Washington on Sunday to meet this week with President Donald J. Trump and senior administration officials at the central moment for the Middle East.
Mr. Trump made it clear that he wanted wars to be completed in the Middle East after the Hamas attack on Israel launched 15 months of devastating conflict in Gaza, which also spread to Lebanon. Before boarding his plane on Sunday, Mr. Netanyahu spoke of an expansion of peace in the region.
“The decisions we made in the war have already changed the face of the Middle East,” said Mr. Netanyahu. “I believe we can strengthen security, expand the circle of peace and achieve an extraordinary era of peace with power,” he added.
Mr. Netanyahu is expected to be the first foreign leader to meet with Mr. Trump from his inauguration last month. The Israeli leader is expected to hold a formative discussion with Trump’s administration on several key regional issues.
Negotiations should start on Monday for the second phase of the Gaza fire interruption agreement, which would temporarily convert the permanent cessation of hostilities and see the plates of hostages still held there. In addition, the trial phase of the American switch for Lebanon should run on February 18th, to which the time of Israeli army and Hezbollah left the southern part of that country.
The general questions of the Middle East’s future also remain on the agenda. They include the suppression of Iranian nuclear ambitions and the support of armed proxies within the borders of Israel, as well as the possibility of a great offer that includes formal links between Israel and Saudi Arabia, the main regional player.
On Sunday, Mr. Netanyahu said that the questions discussed with Mr. Trump included “the victory over Hamas, to achieve the release of all our hostages and dealing with the Iranian terrorist axis in all its components.”
His office said that Mr. Netanyahu was expected to meet with Steve Witkoff, an envoy of Mr. Trump in the Middle East, on Monday, as Mr. Trump on Tuesday.
Mr Netanyahu spoke on Saturday by phone with Mr. Witkoff, and the two agreed to start negotiations for the second phase of Gaza agreement at their meeting on Monday, Mr. Netanyahu said in a statement of Mr. Netanyahu, suggesting that Mr. Witkoff Will Will Will play the lead role in diplomacy Shuttle.
There was no direct comment from the White House or Mr. Witkoff.
