PM scheduled to meet Rubio followed by US president on Monday, will meet Evangelical leaders at hotel on Wednesday, lawmakers and Jewish leaders at Miami synagogue
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took off on Sunday from Ben Gurion Airport headed for Florida, where he is set to meet with US President Donald Trump for talks expected to focus on the future of the Gaza Strip and ongoing threats from Hezbollah and Iran.
In a rare move, Netanyahu did not have reporters accompanying him on his flight and did not give a customary statement ahead of his departure.
Netanyahu’s meeting with Trump, the fifth since Trump returned to office in January for his second term, is scheduled at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate at 3:30 p.m. local time (10:30 p.m. Israel time) on Monday.
The visit comes with the US wanting to push ahead with the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, which is supposed to see the establishment of a Palestinian technocratic government for the Strip, overseen by a Trump-led Board of Peace, as well as the deployment of an International Stabilization Force as the IDF’s presence in the Strip is phased out.
Israel and Hamas have not formally signed on to the second phase of the deal, with both sides accusing the other of violating the terms of the first phase: Hamas has yet to return the body of one hostage, Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, while Israel has refused to open the Rafah Crossing in both directions, agreeing only to allow movement out of the Strip.




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