WASHINGTON, July 22 (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday at the White House, a U.S. official said on Monday.
Biden has been battling COVID-19 since last Wednesday but is returning to Washington on Tuesday from his beach house in Delaware. Netanyahu addresses a joint session of the U.S. Congress on Wednesday.
Biden and Netanyahu are expected to discuss ways to reach a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza, as well as Iran and other topics.
It will be Biden’s first meeting with a foreign leader since he opted not to run for reelection and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor as the Democratic presidential nominee.
July 22 – From Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “As I departed for the United States, I thanked President Biden for the many things he did for the State of Israel during the war and his years as President, Vice President, and Senator.
I look forward to my important… pic.twitter.com/zKybITpejQ— Kayhan Life (@KayhanLife) July 22, 2024
Harris is to meet Netanyahu this week separate from Biden’s meeting.
A Harris aide said she will stress to Netanyahu that it is time for the Gaza conflict to end in a way where “Israel is secure, all hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can enjoy their right to dignity, freedom, and self-determination.”
(Reporting by Steve Holland and Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Edwina Gibbs)
