Trump invites Netanyahu, wanted for war crimes, to White House
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be the first foreign leader to visit the White House during his second term.
Trump extended the invitation through a letter, scheduling the visit for February 4.
The main agenda of this meeting is to discuss peace efforts in Israel and its neighboring regions and strategize against shared adversaries, the invitation said.
Legal implications
Netanyahu's ICC charges and potential arrest
Notably, Netanyahu is currently wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of alleged war crimes.
The accusations include targeting civilian populations and using starvation as a warfare method during military operations in Gaza.
If Netanyahu visits their territories, over 120 ICC member countries could potentially arrest him.
Trump and Netanyahu have a strained personal relationship, but Israel remains the US's closest ally.
Diplomatic ties
US-Israel relations and recent policy changes
Ahead of Trump's inauguration, Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, reportedly met with Netanyahu before a hostages-for-ceasefire deal was reached between Hamas and Israel.
Since then, Trump has lifted a ban on supplying Israel with 2,000-pound bombs. The Biden administration had imposed the ban over concerns regarding Israel's military actions in Gaza.
At the same time, Trump has expressed doubts over the durability of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which requires both parties to negotiate a longer-term peace solution.
Contentious statement
Trump's controversial remarks on Gaza Strip
Recently, Trump had suggested that the Gaza Strip could be "just cleaned out," implying that over 1.5 million people could be moved to other Arab countries.
Trump stated that he would like Jordan and Egypt to take in Gazans internally displaced by Israel's war on the region.
He stated that the proposed transfer "could be temporary" or "could be long-term." Both countries quickly dismissed the idea.