White House declines to say whether Biden to meet Netanyahu in Washington

The White House declined to say on Sunday whether President Joe Biden will meet Benjamin Netanyahu when the Israeli prime minister visits Washington next month to address the US Congress.

"I don't have anything to announce today," Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in an interview with CBS's "Face the Nation," adding the two men were in regular communication.

"He's coming to address the Congress. The president talks to him all the time," Sullivan said.

Sullivan said he hoped a ceasefire and hostage deal would be in place that by the time Netanyahu came to Washington. Hamas must simply say "yes" to the proposal on the table, he said.

Biden, who returns to the United States from France later on Sunday, has welcomed the rescue by Israeli forces of four hostages held by Hamas and vowed to keep working until all hostages were released and a ceasefire achieved.

Reuters