Netanyahu Meets Trump as Gaza Ceasefire Enters Critical Phase 2

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now meeting with US President Donald Trump, at the White House," Israeli PM's Office said.

Earlier in the day, he met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met, at Blair House in Washington, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Prior to his meeting with President Trump at the White House, Prime Minister Netanyahu signed up, in the presence of Secretary of State Rubio, as a member of the Board of Peace," as per his office.

Netanyahu said shortly before departing for Washington that Gaza would be among "a series of issues" to be discussed during his meeting with Trump, CNN reported.

The US announced the start of the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan in mid-January, following the formation of a new committee intended to administer the battered enclave.

The conclusion of the first phase of the US-brokered, 20-point ceasefire agreement, which went into effect in mid-October, came after the remains of the final deceased Israeli hostage in Gaza were returned to Israel in January, and the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt was partially reopened last week.

Trump has pushed to advance the ceasefire into its second phase, alongside plans for a governing board and a Palestinian technocratic committee to run Gaza. Netanyahu, however, has continued to stress that Hamas must disarm before any reconstruction can begin in the shattered enclave, as per CNN.

In January, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said the second phase of the plan would focus on "demilitarisation, technocratic governance, and reconstruction," though he provided few details on how the most contentious provisions would be implemented, CNN reported.

Netanyahu's visit to Washington also comes as Israel has taken a series of sweeping steps to tighten its control over the occupied West Bank.

- ANI