Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke to the press before boarding his flight to the United States

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke to the press before boarding his flight to the United States ahead of his meeting with President Donald J. Trump. 

Israel National News: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took off on Sunday for the United States ahead of his meeting with President Donald Trump.

Before boarding the plane, the Prime Minister told reporters: "The fact that this is would be President Trump's first meeting with a foreign leader since taking office is telling. I think it's a testimony to the strength of the Israeli-American alliance. It's also a testimony to the strength of our personal friendship; that friendship and cooperation have already yielded important results for the Middle East, including the historic Abraham Accords which President Trump led and which brought four historic peace treaties between Israel and its neighbors."

He noted that "at this meeting, we will deal with the critical issues facing Israel and our region: victory over Hamas, achieving the release of all our hostages, and dealing with the Iranian terror axis and all its components, an axis that threatens the peace of Israel, the Middle East, and the entire world."

Netanyahu added: "The decisions we made in the war have already changed the face of the Middle East. Our decisions and the courage of our soldiers have redrawn the map and I believe that working with President Trump we could redraw it further, for the better. I believe that we can strengthen security, broaden the circle of peace, and achieve a remarkable era of peace through strength."

The two are expected to discuss the situation in Gaza, the hostages, the Iranian axis, and other central issues in the meeting, which will occur as negotiations for the second phase of the hostage deal begin.

The Prime Minister said he had agreed with Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff that the second phase of negotiations would begin with their meeting in Washington.

The Prime Minister's Office stated that later in the week, Witkoff will speak with the Prime Minister of Qatar and senior Egyptian representatives. He will then discuss with the Prime Minister steps to advance the negotiations, including dates for the departure of delegations to the talks.

Newsrael News Desk