AFP, Jerusalem

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday left for the United States where he will become the first foreign leader to meet Donald Trump since the US president returned to office.

His visit comes as a fragile truce holds between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Both groups are backed by Iran. Netanyahu will begin talks on a second phase to the Gaza ceasefire, his office said.

Before boarding his flight, Netanyahu said the pair would discuss “victory over Hamas, achieving the release of all our hostages and dealing with the Iranian terror axis”. Netanyahu spoke with the US President’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday and agreed that ceasefire negotiations would “begin when they meet in Washington”.

Netanyahu’s office said Witkoff would talk to Qatar and Egypt, key mediators, before discussing with the Israeli premier “steps to advance the negotiations, including dates for delegations to leave for talks”.

Meanwhile, Palestinian health ministry said one person was killed by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank yesterday. The Israeli military launched a major offensive in the area last month dubbed “Iron Wall” aimed at rooting out Palestinian groups from the Jenin area.