JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington on Tuesday, his office said on Sunday.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden will meet at noon on Tuesday,” Netanyahu's office said in a statement, adding that the Israeli prime minister is scheduled to leave for the United States on Monday.
Netanyahu is set to deliver a landmark speech to the U.S. Congress on Wednesday as he faces mounting pressure to quickly reach a ceasefire deal with Hamas in the Gaza war.
Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, becomes the first foreign leader to address a joint session of both houses of parliament four times, surpassing Britain's Winston Churchill, who addressed the meeting three times.
But analysts say the war in Gaza following Hamas's October 7 attack has raised concerns about rising tensions between Israel and the United States, which is Israel's main military and diplomatic supporter.
Washington fears a backlash as civilian deaths mount in Gaza, while Netanyahu is left with a headache as families of Hamas hostages protest in Israel.
Biden and some Israeli ministers say a deal negotiated through Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. mediators is possible. A plan outlined in May proposed a six-week ceasefire in which some Israeli hostages would be exchanged for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that negotiators were “on the 10-yard line and driving toward the goal line.”
Hamas has accused Netanyahu of trying to block negotiations, and Blinken has said he would like to “finalize a deal” while Netanyahu is in Washington.
A meeting between Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden has not yet been confirmed.
Israel has stepped up airstrikes on Gaza in recent weeks, and Netanyahu has insisted that only military pressure can free the hostages and defeat Hamas.
“This double pressure is not delaying the deal, it is advancing it,” Netanyahu told soldiers in Gaza on Thursday.
According to AFP, based on Israeli figures, the October 7 attacks on Israel killed 1,195 people, most of them civilians. Hamas militants also took 251 hostages, 116 of whom are still in Gaza, while the Israeli military says 42 people were killed.
According to the Hamas-ruled territory's health ministry, Israel's retaliatory operations have killed at least 38,919 people in the Gaza Strip, most of them civilians.
Biden has publicly expressed strong support for Israel. But he expressed concern over the May offensive against the southern city of Rafah and temporarily suspended the supply of heavy bombs to Israel. The supply of 2,000-pound bombs remains under embargo.
“The atmosphere has never been more tense,” said Stephen Cook, a Middle East expert at the Council on Foreign Relations.
“There is clearly tension, particularly between the White House and the Israeli prime minister,” Cook said in a commentary.
The US Republican Party has tried to invite Netanyahu to address parliament, but he has lost support from the Democrats.
Senator Brian Schatz, a Jewish member of the Hawaii Senate, announced Wednesday that he would boycott the speech, saying he would not listen to “political rhetoric that does nothing to bring peace to this region.”
Netanyahu said after being invited back to parliament that he would “present the truth about our just war against those who seek to destroy us.”
Cook said Netanyahu had two goals for his visit to Washington.
First, to show that he did not “damage” relations between Israel and the United States.
Cook added that Netanyahu “will try to turn the conversation in Gaza to the threat posed by Iran and its proxies to Israel and the United States.”
Much attention will be paid to whether Netanyahu will meet with someone close to Donald Trump or the Republican presidential nominee.
Officials say despite the tensions, the United States remains a key player in mediation efforts to protect Israeli interests and military ties remain strong.
With Israel facing international condemnation for the mounting humanitarian toll from the nearly 300-day war, Washington's support could be crucial.
The International Criminal Court prosecutor asked judges in May to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galland. Warrants were also requested for three Hamas leaders.
The House Republican majority has called for sanctions against the ICC.
The International Court of Justice ruled on July 19 that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory was illegal, and in February urged Israel to refrain from committing any acts of genocide in its offensive in the Gaza Strip.
