Reuters cites Israeli official in report

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. [UPI]
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. [UPI]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to visit the United States this weekend amid the collapse of a truce MOU with Iran and the resumption of armed conflict, Reuters reported Wednesday (local time).

A senior Israeli official told Reuters that Netanyahu is scheduled to travel to the US on Saturday. However, the official said Netanyahu hopes to meet with US President Donald Trump, but whether the meeting will actually take place remains uncertain.

Local media reported that Netanyahu plans to attend a memorial service for the late US Sen. Lindsey Graham, a prominent pro-Israel lawmaker who died recently. The funeral schedule has not yet been officially announced.

Earlier, a US government official said Tuesday that no summit between Trump and Netanyahu was planned.

Trump and Netanyahu maintained close coordination during the war against Iran that began in February, but the two leaders have since shown differences over truce and end-of-war negotiations with Iran.

The Israeli military struck the Lebanese capital Beirut, citing the need to eliminate threats from Iran-backed Hezbollah, and refused to withdraw troops from southern Lebanon — moves that have been major sticking points in the negotiations.

Iran has strongly demanded that Israel withdraw its forces from Lebanon, citing the first article of the end-of-war MOU, which calls for a halt to all fighting on every front. Israel, however, stood firm, saying it would only pull back once Hezbollah's disarmament had removed the security threat it poses.

Axios reported, citing US and Israeli officials, that Trump urged Netanyahu in a phone call Thursday to withdraw Israeli forces deployed in Lebanon and Syria.


eyre@heraldcorp.com