Netanyahu to dispatch minister to Washington to meet with Trump

By Said Amori

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to send his strategic affairs minister to Washington to discuss several issues with US President-elect Donald Trump, local media reported Sunday.

Ron Dermer is scheduled to visit Washington, D.C. for meetings with Trump and other officials, said Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth daily.

The primary focus of Dermer's meetings will be on the stabilization of Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, achieving a hostage deal with the Palestinian group Hamas, normalization with Saudi Arabia, and post-war plans for Gaza, said the newspaper.

The minister will also “present Trump with intelligence gathered by Israel regarding Iran's nuclear program and the potential threat of Tehran advancing toward nuclear armament,” it added.

Dermer recently visited Russia as part of Israel’s efforts to reach a cease-fire with the Lebanese Hezbollah group, the daily noted.

Israeli media reported that Netanyahu and his inner circle have been feeling optimistic in recent days following Trump’s victory in the Nov. 5 US presidential election.

The Israel Hayom daily reported earlier that senior officials in the Israeli government have begun drafting plans to extend sovereignty over certain settlement blocs in the occupied West Bank, approve thousands of housing units and lift sanctions on settlers.

According to Israeli estimates, more than 720,000 illegal settlers live in settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Under international law, however, settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are considered illegal.

Since Israel’s war on Gaza, which began Oct. 7, 2023, more than 43,600 Palestinians have been killed, most of them women and children, according to local health authorities.

The devastation in Gaza continues under a blockade of essentials like food, clean water and medicine, with Israel facing genocide accusations at the International Court of Justice.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala