Prime Minister Netanyahu departed for the United States on Sunday evening to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump. Besides Trump, Netanyahu is expected to meet with other senior officials in the U.S. administration.

Upon arriving at the departure runway, Netanyahu said, “There is an opportunity to expand the circle of peace.”

The prime minister stated that in his conversation with Trump, he intends to thank him for standing alongside Israel: “Our joint activity has led to a tremendous victory over our common enemy, Iran.”

When asked by Kan News about the deal to release the hostages, he replied, “We are working to achieve the much discussed deal, on the conditions that we have agreed to. I have dispatched a team to the negotiations with clear instructions. I believe that the conversation with President Trump can definitely help advance that result which we are all hoping for..”

Netanyahu addressed the issue of a possible deal for a ceasefire and the release of hostages: “At the same time, we are still in the Gaza arena. We have great achievements there as well, but also missions that need to be completed. As of today, we have freed 205 out of 255 hostages, 148 among them alive. Twenty living and 30 deceased hostages are left. I am determined – we are determined – to bring back everyone.”

In an unusual move, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee joined Netanyahu on the flight. When asked whether there would be a ceasefire and hostage release, Huckabee replied, “I’m just an ambassador, not a prophet.”

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