Netanyahu, Trump to meet at White House

Jerusalem, April 7 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet with US President Donald Trump on Monday at 1 p.m. local time (1700 GMT) at the White House, according to a statement from his office.

The two leaders are expected to discuss several key issues, including the new tariffs recently imposed by Trump on Israel, the ongoing hostage negotiations with Hamas, potential tensions between Israel and Türkiye in Syria, and joint efforts to counter Iran and its proxy network, said the statement issued Sunday evening.

On Wednesday, Trump announced the decision to impose a 17 per cent tariff on Israeli goods, as part of his so-called "reciprocal tariffs" on all trading partners. The day before Trump's announcement, Israel had lifted all tariffs on imports from the United States, but this step did not prevent Trump from imposing tariffs on Israel, Xinhua news agency reported.

The United States remains one of Israel's top trade partners, with bilateral goods trade reaching an estimated $37 billion in 2024, according to the US Trade Representative.

In Gaza, a phased ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas collapsed on March 18 after Israel refused to move to the second phase and resumed air and ground assaults on Gaza.

Hamas kidnapped 251 hostages during its attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. According to Israeli tallies, 59 hostages remain in Gaza, with 35 of them presumed dead.

Efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States to revive talks have yet to yield a breakthrough.

--IANS

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