Biden, Netanyahu to meet at White House before Congress speech

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Joe Biden at the White House on next week ahead of a landmark speech at Congress later this month.

An Israeli official told The Times of Israel that the two leaders will meet on 22 July, two days ahead of Netanyahu's planned speech before a joint session of Congress.

Biden visited Israel shortly after the  7 October attacks, and despite its strong backing of Israel following the Hamas-led attack, tensions between the two countries have also been present.

Israel was reportedly furious after Washington did not use its veto powers at the United Nations and abstained from a Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Netanyahu cancelled an Israeli delegation’s trip to Washington, with his office claiming that the US was "harming" Israel’s aim of destroying Hamas.

While the US dismissed Israel’s claims that the resolutions had damaged separate truce negotiations, tensions were raised when Washington withheld arms shipments to Israel over concerns about the killing of civilians in Gaza.

The Israeli prime minister said the withholdings were slowing Israel's offensive on Rafah, which the US had urged caution on.

The Biden administration had also issued its fifth series of sanctions against Israeli settlers and illegal outposts in the West Bank.

Netanyahu also expressed disappointment after the US did not sanction the International Criminal Court after the chief prosecutor issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and other Israeli officials.

The US has been working closely with Israel and other international mediators to broker a ceasefire in Gaza, with Biden formulating a framework for a ceasefire deal in May.

US officials have expresses cautious optimism about recent progress in Israel-Hamas talks with White House’s Jake Sullivan said there is still "miles to go" before they can even get close to a deal.