Tel Aviv, 21 July 2024 (dpa/MIA) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet US President Joe Biden on Tuesday, July 23, the Israeli leader's office said on Sunday.

Netanyahu is expected to depart for the United States on Monday, July 22, his office announced. Biden and Netanyahu last met in person in Tel Aviv shortly after the massacres by the Palestinian militant Islamist organization Hamas on Oct. 7.

According to media reports, the discussion is expected to focus primarily on efforts to secure a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict and the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

In Israel, there has been criticism of Netanyahu's overseas trip. Protesters demanded that he should only leave the country after an agreement on the hostages' release has been reached.

On Wednesday, July 24, Netanyahu is to address both chambers of the US Congress regarding Israel's military actions in the Gaza.

Relations between Biden and Netanyahu are considered strained. Netanyahu recently sparked a crisis with a video in which he harshly criticized the US government for holding back a weapons delivery.

On Wednesday, July 17, Biden tested positive for COVID-19, the White House said.