US President Joe Biden is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington later this month during a visit to the US to address Congress, a White House official has announced.
Netanyahu is scheduled to deliver a speech at a joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate on 24 July over Israel's war on Gaza - entering its tenth month this week.
American network CNN, which had initially reported Netanyahu’s visit, noted that details of his meeting with Biden at the White House had not been finalised.
While the US has been a firm backer of Israel throughout its war on Gaza, there are said to be some differences in viewpoints between the two leaders.
It would be Netanyahu’s first trip abroad since the Gaza war started on 7 October, which has killed over 37,900 people - most of whom were women and children.
It would also be his first meeting with Biden since the US president flew to Tel Aviv days after the war started - although his secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has held regular meetings with the Israeli leader.
Several advisers of Biden have strongly criticised Netanyahu and many Democrats intend to boycott the Israeli premier's speech at Congress.
Biden has been at odds with Netanyahu over some elements of Israel's conduct in Gaza while he has faced pressure from within his party regarding Washington’s continued military support for Tel Aviv despite the devastation caused in Gaza.
The 81-year-old US president is seeking re-election in November.
Netanyahu recently criticised the Biden administration for withholding arms shipments which Israel says are crucial for finishing off Hamas. This reportedly infuriated officials in Washington.
More than 38,000 people have been killed in Israel’s relentless air and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, most of them women and children, and swathes of the besieged enclave have been reduced to rubble.
