PM’s second meeting in under 24 hours – amid ongoing talks aimed at securing a hostage release deal. The meeting lasts about 90 minutes, with no public statements given afterward.
In a demonstration of intensifying diplomatic coordination, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived at the White House on Tuesday for a second meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump—marking the second face-to-face engagement between the two leaders in less than 24 hours.
The hour-and-a-half meeting, held in the Oval Office, was also attended by Vice President JD Vance, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, which confirmed the meeting’s conclusion but noted that no public statements were made by the leaders immediately afterward.
The discussions come at a critical juncture, as indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, mediated by Qatar in Doha, continue in pursuit of a hostage release deal and ceasefire agreement in Gaza. Citing a source familiar with the talks, reporter Barak Ravid confirmed that a Qatari delegation also arrived in Washington earlier Tuesday for related discussions at the White House.
Earlier in the day, Netanyahu addressed the media after a meeting with U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson on Capitol Hill. Emphasizing a philosophy of deterrence, Netanyahu stated, “The President and I believe in a doctrine called peace through strength. First comes strength, then comes the peace.”
Reflecting on the recent 12-day military confrontation with Iran, Netanyahu praised the joint operations of Israeli and American forces: “The remarkable American B2 pilots showed remarkable perseverance, persistence, and power. The soldiers of Israel fought like lions, our pilots struck like lightning, and our common alliance roared like thunder.”
He underscored that these developments are transforming regional dynamics and opening “opportunities for peace that we intend to realize.” However, he reiterated Israel’s ongoing objectives in Gaza: “We still have to finish the job—release all our hostages, eliminate and destroy Hamas’s military and governance capabilities. Gaza must have a different future—for our sake and for everyone’s.”
Netanyahu concluded by lauding U.S.-Israel strategic coordination, particularly under President Trump: “The coordination between an American president and an Israeli prime minister has been unmatched. It offers great promise for Israel, for America, for our region, and for the world.”
As diplomatic and military developments unfold simultaneously, the back-to-back meetings between Trump and Netanyahu underscore the strategic depth of U.S.-Israel ties amid one of the region’s most consequential security and humanitarian crises.
