Netanyahu will be the first foreign leader to visit the White House in Trump’s second presidential term, said the Israeli prime minister’s office on X.

In a letter issued by the White House to Netanyahu, Trump said, “I look forward to discussing how we can bring peace to Israel and its neighbours, and efforts to counter our shared adversaries.”

The announcement of the meeting of the two world leaders comes ahead of a second phase of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, which will be mediated by the United States.

The first phase of the ceasefire which began during the last days of Joe Biden’s administration marked the first pause in the 15-month long war in Gaza which started on October 7, 2023.

Trump had also sent his special Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, to the region to negotiate alongside the Biden administration. Trump claimed the entire credit for the ceasefire deal during his inauguration speech.

The negotiations surrounding the second phase, which calls for a total end to the war, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and “sustainable calm” in the region will begin a day before Netanyahu and Trump meet, on February 3.

While an initial exchange of hostages has occurred, Netanyahu has vowed to renew the war if Hamas doesn’t meet his demands in negotiations over the ceasefire’s second phase.

Donald Trump has shown support for ally Benjamin Netanyahu and defended Israel’s conduct in Gaza, even during his presidential campaign. Israel is also the largest recipient of US military aid.

Apart from a discussion on Gaza, Netanyahu is likely to encourage Donald Trump to put pressure on common enemy Iran, and bolster efforts to finalise a historic normalisation agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.