Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to visit the White House on July 7 for talks with the U.S. President Donald Trump, a U.S. official confirmed on Monday, June 30, 2025. The visit comes as Washington intensifies its push for a ceasefire in Gaza. This will be Netanyahu’s third visit to the U.S. since Trump returned to office in January.

A Trump administration official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, confirmed the meeting. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Netanyahu had shown interest in meeting with President Trump, and both sides were working to finalize the date.

“Bringing an end to the war in Gaza has been a top priority for the president since taking office,” Leavitt told reporters, adding that the president has been deeply moved by the suffering on both sides. Ahead of Netanyahu’s arrival, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer is expected to visit Washington to lay the groundwork for the meeting.

Netanyahu was the first foreign leader to meet with Trump during his second term in February — a visit during which Trump made headlines by proposing that the U.S. “take over” Gaza. Netanyahu visited again in April.

Following the recent end of Israel’s 12-day conflict with Iran, there is a renewed opportunity for a Gaza truce, with Trump eager to add another peace agreement to his diplomatic record. “We think even next week, we're going to get a ceasefire,” Trump said on Friday. On Sunday, he urged Israel via his Truth Social platform to "make the deal in Gaza."

Despite diplomatic efforts, Israel continues its military operations in Gaza, aiming to dismantle Hamas. On Monday, Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that Israeli forces killed at least 51 people, including 24 civilians at a coastal rest stop.

Over the weekend, Trump appeared to use U.S. aid to Israel as leverage, calling for Israeli prosecutors to drop corruption charges against Netanyahu. “The United States spends billions of dollars each year, more than on any other country, to support and defend Israel. We’re not going to tolerate this,” Trump posted.

The conflict was sparked by Hamas’s large-scale attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures. Hamas also took 251 hostages during the assault; 49 remain in Gaza, with the Israeli military saying 27 of them are presumed dead.

In response, Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza that has killed at least 56,531 people, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. The United Nations regards these figures as credible.