A former senior U.S. official with business ties in Israel and Gulf Arab countries, but no relationship to Trump, said Netanyahu is focused on mollifying the far-right politicians that are still the linchpin of his governing coalition. An end to the war is likely to also bring a moment of political reckoning for Netanyahu over his failure to prevent the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack, and increase the likelihood he faces legal consequences for alleged corruption, according to the former official, who requested anonymity to speak freely. “Bibi Netanyahu gets...

President Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu are set to meet Tuesday as the Israeli prime minister faces competing pressure from his right-wing coalition to end a temporary truce against Hamas militants in Gaza and from war-weary Israelis who want the remaining hostages home and the 15-month conflict to end. Trump is guarded about the long-term prospects for the truce, even as he takes credit for pressuring Hamas and Israel into the hostage and ceasefire agreement that went into effect the day before he returned to office last month. "I have...

TEL AVIV – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday is geared toward bolstering ties with and securing guarantees from the Trump administration primarily over Iran and the war against Hamas, according to current and former Israeli officials."Prime Minister Netanyahu’s historic visit to Washington will mark a significant moment in Israel-U.S.

Netanyahu's visit to the White House makes him the first world leader to meet President Trump since the inauguration. Their meeting occurs as the future of Gaza, the wider Middle East, and Netanyahu himself are hanging in the balance. You can also find all our reporting on this conflict at npr.org/mideastupdates

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's upcoming meeting with President Donald Trump will prove vital as the second phase of the Israel-Hamas hostage deal is complex, David Friedman, the former Trump administration ambassador to Israel, told Newsmax Sunday. "The first phone call that President Trump made after he was elected, after he took office, was to Mohammed bin Salman, to MBS, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, so these two countries are figuring very large in the overall global strategy of the president," Friedman said on Newsmax's "Sunday Report." Meanwhile, the United...

People gather to protest against Benjamin Netanyahu's government, demanding the hostage and ceasefire deal to continue in Tel Aviv, Israel on Feb. 1, 2025. Photo: Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images The future of the Gaza hostage-release and ceasefire deal is hanging on the outcome of a meeting between President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that is set to take place on Tuesday at the White House, three Israeli officials told Axios. Why it matters: Netanyahu reluctantly agreed to move forward with the first phase of the deal between...