The visit by the envoy, Steven Witkoff, was set to take place as Israeli and Hamas officials prepared for a new round of negotiations aimed at cementing the current cease-fire in Gaza and allowing more exchanges of hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

Trump sent Witkoff to ensure the ceasefire agreement advances to the second phase, which will require hashing out more thorny questions about Gaza’s future.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he plans to speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that Netanyahu would be traveling to Washington to meet with him. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One,

Benjamin Netanyahu is to become the first foreign leader to be invited to the White House to meet Donald Trump in his second term in office.