Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is set to visit the White House on Monday for the second time since U.S. President Donald Trump resumed office in January.

Mr Netanyahu is the first foreign leader to meet with Mr Trump following his announcement of new global tariffs. He said they would discuss efforts to return the remaining Israeli hostages from Gaza.

Also, the hostages from Iran, the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Mr Netanyahu, and the tariff issue would be discussed. 

The U.S. is Israel’s most important ally, yet the country was not exempted from the sweeping new tariffs announced by Mr Trump last week.

He announced additional duties of 17 per cent to be slapped on Israeli imports from Wednesday.

Israeli forces have resumed combat operations in the Gaza Strip to crush Palestinian extremist group Hamas and force the release of the remaining hostages after negotiations to extend the previous ceasefire failed.

Mr Netanyahu’s visit to Washington came on the heels of a trip to Hungary last week.

The Israeli prime minister faced an ICC arrest warrant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Hungary, a member of the court, did not take the Israeli premier into custody but instead announced plans to withdraw from the ICC.

Mr Trump received Mr Netanyahu at the beginning of February in what was seen as a gesture of support for the embattled Israeli prime minister, who had drawn strong international criticism over the ongoing Gaza war.

During that visit, Mr Trump said he intended it was his dream for the U.S. to take control of the war-ravaged Gaza Strip to develop the region.

Under his plan, Gazans were to be resettled to Arab nations and the territory to be transformed into the “Riviera of the Middle East.’’

(dpa/NAN)