Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived at the White House and has begun of his meeting with US President Donald Trump. Netanyahu will be the first foreign leader to visit the White House during Trump's second term. The two leaders will first hold a private conversation in the Oval Office, followed by discussions with their respective teams. Afterward, they are expected to hold a joint press conference.
The two answered journalists' questions in the Oval Office. When asked whether he still supports the establishment of a Palestinian state in accordance with his previous "Deal of the Century" plan, Trump responded, "A lot of deaths have occurred, a lot has changed." He reiterated his proposal to relocate Gazans from the Strip and, when asked whether they would retain rights to Gaza, he said, "My hope is that we can do something so nice that they won't want to return. Everything there is destroyed." However, Trump added that he does not want to see Israeli settlements in Gaza.
Trump also stated he would like to "settle people permanently" in "a beautiful area" outside of Gaza where they can "be happy".
In addition, Trump stated that Saudi Arabia is not demanding the establishment of a Palestinian state as a condition for normalizing relations with Israel. Regarding the possibility of the Palestinian Authority taking control of Gaza, he said, "It will be very hard for them."
On Iran, Trump was unequivocal: "We will not allow them to have nuclear weapons. A strike? We'll wait and see." When asked whether Qatar is an obstacle, he responded, "They are trying to help. They are absolutely trying to help."
The main focus of the meeting will be the Gaza ceasefire agreement and the possibility that Iran may attempt a nuclear breakthrough soon. Ahead of the meeting, Trump signed executive orders withdrawing the US from the UN Human Rights Council, cutting funding to UNRWA, and instructing the administration to prepare a plan for imposing "maximum economic pressure on Iran" to force it to abandon its nuclear program.
