The prime minister’s office said the two leaders discussed disarming Hamas and demilitarising Gaza. Trump announced a plan to end the Gaza war in September, and a ceasefire has been in place since October. Trump emphasised that Israel must maintain a “strong and true dialogue” with Syria to ensure nothing disrupts Syria’s progress toward prosperity. He added that Syria and Israel could have a long and productive relationship.
Syria does not formally recognise Israel and has been affected by Israeli occupation of parts of Syrian territory, including the Golan Heights, a move recognised only by the U.S. Trump has backed Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, despite Israeli concerns over his previous links to Islamist militancy.
The announcement of the invitation came a day after Netanyahu requested a pardon from Israel’s president amid his long-running corruption trial. Trump has expressed support for a pardon, sending a letter last month urging President Isaac Herzog to consider it. The prime minister’s office did not mention the pardon in its readout, while opposition politicians called for Netanyahu to resign instead.