Trump to meet Netanyahu in Washington on Monday

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected in Washington next week for the second time since US President Donald Trump took office.

A meeting between the two is planned for Monday at the White House, a US government official told dpa on Saturday.

Trump received Netanyahu at the beginning of February as the first foreign guest in his second term in office.

Netanyahu's fresh invitation is considered a gesture of support for the right-wing prime minister, who has come under heavy international criticism for the conduct of the war in the Gaza Strip. Trump is known to be a close ally of Netanyahu.

During Netanyahu's visit in early February, Trump shocked observers with a proposal on the Middle East conflict. The US president unexpectedly announced that the United States would take over control of the Gaza Strip and develop the war-torn Palestinian coastal area economically.

The Palestinian civilian population was to be relocated to other countries in the region, according to Trump's proposal. Trump said the Gaza Strip could become a "Riviera of the Middle East."