Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu will travel to Florida on Saturday night for discussions with US president Donald Trump. It will be the fifth time Mr Netanyahu has met Mr Trump in his second term as US president.
While Mr Netanyahu is most concerned about efforts by Iran to replenish its ballistic missile arsenal following the 12-day war with Israel in June, Mr Trump’s priority is to agree the introduction of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire in the coming weeks.
The two men are expected to meet on Monday at the president’s Mar-a-Lago estate. A second round of talks is possible before Mr Netanyahu returns home on Thursday.
His most pressing concern centres around its claims that Iran is attempting to rebuild ballistic missile production facilities and repair its air-defence systems.
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NBC reported earlier this week that Israeli officials will brief Mr Trump about options for attacking Iran again. Mr Netanyahu is expected to argue that Iran’s actions present dangers not only to Israel but also to the broader region, including US interests.
Israel is also worried that Iran is rebuilding its nuclear enrichment programme, which was heavily damaged by Israeli and American strikes, NBC reported. However, this is not regarded as an immediate threat.
Israel is aware that Washington does not want another military confrontation with Iran but hopes Mr Trump will give it permission to act if missile production continues.
The US president wants to press ahead with implementation of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire in January despite considerable obstacles.
Israel has linked progress to the release of all hostages, including those who have died. The hostages were taken by militants during Hamas attacks on southern Israel on October 7th, 2023.
Gal Hirsch, the Israeli government’s co-ordinator for captives and missing persons, held talks with international mediators this week about efforts to locate the body of police officer Ran Gvili, the last hostage in Gaza.
The second phase of Mr Trump’s 20-point peace plan calls for the disarmament of Hamas and the establishment of an international stabilisation force in Gaza.
However, Hamas has yet to disarm and is proposing alternatives, such as only relinquishing its heavy arms or putting its weapons “in storage”.
Israel believes there is no point moving to the second phase of the ceasefire until there is agreement on Hamas disarmament.
The two national leaders will also attempt to co-ordinate positions on Lebanon.
A US-backed ceasefire agreed in November, 2024, ended more than a year of fighting between Israel and Hizbullah and required the disarmament of the Iran-aligned group, beginning in areas south of the river adjacent to Israel.
The Lebanese army has said it is nearing completion of the first phase of its plan.
Israel has repeatedly accused Hizbullah of attempting to rebuild military infrastructure in southern Lebanon, saying such activity violates understandings governing the Israel–Lebanon frontier.
A Palestinian assailant ran over a man and stabbed a woman, killing them both in northern Israel on Friday, Israeli emergency services said.
The assailant, from the occupied West Bank, was shot and wounded by a civilian at the scene and taken to hospital, the Israeli police said in a statement.
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said he had instructed the military to respond forcefully in the West Bank town of Qabatiya, where he said the assailant came from, to thwart any further attacks. – Additional reporting: Reuters
