Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu set to address the US Congress on July 24
- Israel’s prime minister said he would ‘present the truth’ about the war against Hamas in Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address lawmakers in the US Congress on July 24, Republican Party leaders announced.
The visit comes amid mounting pressure for the US ally and Hamas militants to agree to a permanent ceasefire as Israel faces growing diplomatic isolation over the rising death toll in Gaza.
US President Joe Biden last week presented what he called an Israeli three-phase plan that would end the conflict, free all hostages and lead to the reconstruction of the devastated Palestinian territory without Hamas in power.
But Netanyahu’s office stressed that the war sparked by the October 7 attacks would continue until Israel’s “goals are achieved”, including the destruction of Hamas, which has not given its response to the plan.
The four top party leaders in the US House and Senate from both sides asked Netanyahu last week to speak before a joint meeting of Congress in a letter voicing solidarity with Israel “in your struggle against terror, especially as Hamas continues to hold American and Israeli citizens captive”.