Israel is preparing for a possible visit by US President Donald Trump early next week, CNN reported, citing an Israeli official.
Trump himself said he may travel to the Middle East on October 11 or 12, but did not specify which country or countries he might visit. Axios correspondent Barak Ravid noted that Trump intends to address the Knesset, the Jewish state's parliament, at the invitation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“They want me to address the Knesset, and I certainly will if that's what they want,“ Ravid quoted Trump as saying in X. Trump called the phone call with the Israeli prime minister, which came after Israel and the radical Palestinian movement Hamas signed the first phase of a peace plan, “a wonderful”.
“Netanyahu is happy, and he should be. It's a great achievement. The whole world came together to make this deal, including countries that were enemies," the journalist quoted Trump as saying.
Earlier, the Israeli prime minister's office reported that Netanyahu had thanked Trump for his mediation efforts and invited him to address the Knesset. Trump had previously announced that representatives of Israel and the radical Palestinian movement Hamas had signed agreements on the first phase of the peace plan following talks in Egypt. He said that this phase includes the release of all hostages "as soon as possible" and the withdrawal of Israeli troops to an agreed line in the Gaza Strip. Trump called these the first steps "toward a lasting, durable and everlasting peace."