Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared to leave Israel on Sunday (February 1, 2025) for a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, looking to strengthen ties with Washington after tensions with the previous White House administration over the war in Gaza.
Netanyahu suggests Israel might not complete its withdrawal from Lebanon by ceasefire deadline
Mr. Netanyahu, the first foreign leader to visit Mr. Trump since his inauguration last month, leaves with the ceasefire in Gaza still holding and negotiations aimed at a second phase expected to begin this week.
“The decisions we made in the war have already changed the face of the Middle East,” he said at the airport before his departure.
“Our decisions and the courage of our soldiers have redrawn the map. But, I believe that working closely with President Trump, we can redraw it even further and for the better.”
Mr. Netanyahu, who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over allegations of war crimes in Gaza, had strained relations with Mr. Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden and has not visited the White House since returning to office at the end of 2022.
Published – February 02, 2025 02:35 pm IST
