Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump agreed to meet in the United States in the near future during a phone conversation on Friday, according to a report by the Times of Israel, citing a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

According to the PMO statement, Netanyahu congratulated Trump on the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and said, "The US is what ensures the freedom of the world, and Israel greatly appreciates the tight bond between the nations."

The statement added that "Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump agreed to meet soon in the US."

The Prime Minister's Office did not provide a specific date or venue for the proposed meeting, according to the Times of Israel.

The development comes at a time when Trump has been publicly critical of Netanyahu in recent weeks after Israel's war with Hezbollah in Lebanon threatened peace talks with Iran.

According to the latest update on the ongoing 14-point MoU negotiations, Qatar and Pakistan, on July 1, concluded separate meetings with US and Iranian negotiators in Doha, with "positive progress" reported on issues related to the 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), according to Qatar's foreign ministry official spokesperson.

The Qatar foreign spokesperson said, "The parties agreed to continue discussions over the coming period, with the next meeting to be scheduled at the earliest possible time following the funeral processions of the former Iranian Supreme Leader."

Earlier, on July 1, Israel said that it would continue military operations against Hezbollah despite the existing ceasefire framework with Lebanon. Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel said, arguing that the Iran-backed armed group continues to pose a direct security threat and that lasting stability in Lebanon is impossible unless Hezbollah is disarmed.

In a virtual interview with ANI, Haskel said Israel's military operations would continue as long as Hezbollah continued to attack Israeli territory, asserting that both Israel and Lebanon shared an interest in dismantling the group's military capabilities.

"If Hezbollah continues to attack Israel, we will continue to defend our people, our communities and our forces," she said.

"There is nothing more that we want to see than this Iranian terrorist army out of Lebanon... and there is nothing more that the Lebanese government wants to see than this terrorist organisation gone and disarmed."

Meanwhile, on June 30, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced an ambitious policy shift aimed at ending American financial assistance, declaring that the country's robust economy no longer requires foreign subsidies.'

Making the remarks, the Prime Minister outlined his administration's comprehensive strategy across critical security and geopolitical fronts, including state sovereignty, regional military presence, and diplomatic manoeuvres.

Addressing the financial relationship with Washington, Netanyahu stated, "I want to stop American aid. It's like welfare; I don't want it."

He emphasised that Israel's contemporary fiscal strength renders outside funding negligible, adding, "Our economy is no longer a small economy... we can finance ourselves with this fraction of a per cent of our GDP that we receive from the United States. I want this process to start this year."

Source: Economic Times

--Agencies