Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump in Florida on Monday, an Israeli official told AFP. The visit, Netanyahu’s fifth to the US this year, comes amid efforts by the Trump administration and regional mediators to advance the second stage of the Gaza ceasefire, brokered in October between Israel and Hamas.
“The timing of the meeting is very significant,” said Gershon Baskin, co-head of the Alliance for Two States. He noted that phase one of the ceasefire is complete, with one remaining Israeli hostage unaccounted for, and warned that delays could allow Hamas to re-establish its presence. Progress on Gaza has been slow, with frequent ceasefire violations and stalling by both sides.
The upcoming discussions are expected to cover Gaza, Iran, Israel-Syria security talks, and the ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon. “All the news… about Iran building up its missiles and being a threat to Israel is part of a planned strategy of deflecting attention from Gaza,” Baskin said. Analysts also noted that Netanyahu may be seeking to minimise domestic political risks ahead of Israel’s election year.