WASHINGTON– Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Tuesday he will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday in Florida.
“Looking forward to welcoming Bibi Netanyahu to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida on Thursday,” the former president posted on his Truth Social platform.
The meeting was initially scheduled for Wednesday, but the date was changed due to changes in the Israeli Prime Minister’s schedule.
Israel is a loyal and historic ally of the United States and Trump has always made the Israeli issue a priority on his agenda since he was in the White House and after leaving office.
The former president has reiterated his full support for Israel at multiple events and believes that Hamas terrorists must be eliminated. Tel Aviv is now on the offensive.
Offensive and negotiations
The Israeli military on Monday ordered the evacuation of part of an area in the Gaza Strip it has designated as a humanitarian zone and said it planned to launch an operation against Hamas militants who have infiltrated the area and fired rockets into Israel from there. The zone includes the eastern part of the Muwasi humanitarian strip in southern Gaza.
The announcement came during delicate negotiations for a cease-fire in Gaza, with U.S. and Israeli officials expressing hope that a cease-fire is closer. Israel will send a negotiating team to continue the talks on Thursday, according to Netanyahu’s office. Egypt, Qatar and the United States are pressing Israel and Hamas to agree to a gradual cease-fire that would stop the fighting and free the hostages.
The talks between Netanyahu and Trump are expected to focus on US aid to Israel, the current offensive and ongoing peace negotiations. However, Israel has said its mission is to exterminate Hamas and cut off all its sources of arms and money from abroad. Much of it comes from Iran.
Source: With information from AFP.
