Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet President Donald Trump in the US on December 29 for talks on advancing the Gaza ceasefire plan.
It will be Mr Netanyahu's fifth visit to the country since Mr Trump returned to office in January, and the first since the US-brokered ceasefire came into effect in October. It comes days after Mr Netanyahu said he expected the second phase of the peace plan to begin soon.
“The Prime Minister will meet with President Trump on Monday, December 29. They will discuss the future steps and phases and the international stabilisation force of the ceasefire plan,” Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian told reporters in an online briefing on Monday. She did not reveal the location or duration of Mr Netanyahu's visit.
Israel's Channel 12 said Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahu were expected to meet twice during an eight-day visit. It said Mr Netanyahu would visit the US President at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
News of the meeting came as a Hamas official said on Tuesday that the Gaza ceasefire cannot proceed to its second phase as long as Israeli "violations" persist, calling on mediators to put pressure on Israel to respect the deal.
“Any discussion about the second phase must be preceded by clear pressure on the occupation by the mediators, the United States, and all concerned parties, to ensure the full implementation of all the provisions of the first phase,” Hossam Badran, political bureau member, said.
"The second phase cannot begin as long as the [Israeli] occupation continues to violate the agreement and renege on its commitments," he said.
Mr Badran
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