The America-Israel alliance appears to be back in full force as Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office confirms that he will be the first foreign leader to meet in person with President Trump.

The Israeli leader is scheduled to visit the White House on February 4 at the invitation of Mr. Trump, Mr. Netanyahu’s office announced on Tuesday. Their meeting was previewed by the 47th president on Monday when he told reporters that he will be “speaking with Bibi Netanyahu in the not too distant future.”

In Mr. Trump’s letter to Mr. Netanyahu, which was shared by the Israeli leader’s office, the president wrote, “I look forward to discussing how we can bring peace to Israel and its neighbors, and efforts to counter our shared adversaries.”

Displays of loyalty continued on Tuesday when American officials broke with the Biden administration in backing Israel’s decision to sever ties with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees amid evidence of the aid agency’s complicity with terror organizations, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. “It is Israel’s sovereign decision to close UNRWA’s offices in Jerusalem on January 30,” America’s chargé d’affaires ad interim, Dorothy Shea, said during Tuesday’s UN Security Council session. “The United States supports the implementation of this decision.” 

Biden-era officials contended that UNRWA’s aid supply was too important for Gaza’s wellbeing to shut down completely. Ms. Shea, however, referenced her concern over reports that Israeli hostages were held by Hamas in UN facilities and called for an independent investigation. “Unfortunately, this follows a pattern of serious allegations on the misuse of UN facilities — particularly UNRWA facilities — by Hamas terrorists,” she added.  

The meeting comes as Israel and Hamas have made it to day 10 of the first phase of the ceasefire and hostage release agreement. Over the phase’s six weeks, Hamas is expected to return to Israel 33 hostages that were brought into Gaza during the October 7 attack. In exchange, Israel will release some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including an estimated 250 who are serving life sentences for their crimes.

Talks for the next stage of the agreement are scheduled to kick off on February 3. To that end, Mr. Trump’s middle east envoy, Steven Witkoff, is slated to travel to Israel this week to meet with Mr. Netanyahu and other Israeli officials.