PM Netanyahu departs for US: We are working to achieve a 'deal on the conditions that we have agreed to'

Prime Minister Netanyahu departed for the United States on Sunday evening to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump. Besides Trump, Netanyahu is expected to meet with other senior officials in the U.S. administration.

Upon arriving at the departure runway, Netanyahu said, “There is an opportunity to expand the circle of peace.”

The prime minister stated that in his conversation with Trump, he intends to thank him for standing alongside Israel: “Our joint activity has led to a tremendous victory over our common enemy, Iran.”

When asked by Kan News about the deal to release the hostages, he replied, “We are working to achieve the much discussed deal, on the conditions that we have agreed to. I have dispatched a team to the negotiations with clear instructions. I believe that the conversation with President Trump can definitely help advance that result which we are all hoping for..”

Netanyahu addressed the issue of a possible deal for a ceasefire and the release of hostages: “At the same time, we are still in the Gaza arena. We have great achievements there as well, but also missions that need to be completed. As of today, we have freed 205 out of 255 hostages, 148 among them alive. Twenty living and 30 deceased hostages are left. I am determined – we are determined – to bring back everyone.”

In an unusual move, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee joined Netanyahu on the flight. When asked whether there would be a ceasefire and hostage release, Huckabee replied, “I’m just an ambassador, not a prophet.”

שגריר ארה"ב מייק האקבי הצטרף באופן חריג לטיסת נתניהו והשיב לשאלת כאן חדשות: "הולך להיות שבוע נהדר"@gilicohen10 pic.twitter.com/VzGcLqWynA

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) July 6, 2025

Netanyahu's son, Yair, was also expected to join the flight and participate in some of the meetings, as he has done several times in the past. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) stated that Yair is expected to pay the costs of the flight himself. In addition, Netanyahu will travel to Washington with an expanded medical team, including a cardiologist and a urologist.

The prime minister’s flight to Washington was delayed due to a threat from the ultra-Orthodox parties to boycott Monday's Knesset plenary session. As a result, the chair of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Knesset Member Yuli Edelstein, was asked to immediately present the Shas party representative with an initial draft of the key points of the conscription law.

Netanyahu’s trip comes amid progress in the negotiations for a hostage deal and the return of the negotiation team to Doha, Qatar.

Last night, the PMO stated that Israel remains committed to the mediators’ offer, according to which 10 live hostages and 18 deceased would be returned in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire.

Ahead of the meeting with Netanyahu, Trump said last Tuesday, “I’ll be very firm with Netanyahu regarding ending the war. He also wants to end it.” Regarding the Gaza ceasefire, Trump said an agreement on the matter might be reached “next week.”

Furthermore, during the meeting, Netanyahu is expected to seek assurances from Trump for potential U.S. backing of an Israeli strike on Iran, should Israel detect a significant escalation in Tehran’s nuclear or missile programs. He may even request such guarantees in the form of a formal side letter from the U.S. administration.