Netanyahu Hopes Washington Talks Can Bring 'Remarkable Era of Peace Through Strength'

JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington Sunday night for talks with President Donald Trump. The meeting is pivotal for the outcome of Israel's war with Hamas, the future of Gaza, and the fate of the remaining hostages.

Before he left for the U.S., the prime minister told reporters some of the issues the two leaders will discuss.

He listed, "Victory over Hamas, achieving the release of all our hostages, and dealing with the Iranian terror axis in all its components – an axis that threatens the peace of Israel, the Middle East, and the entire world,"

Netanyahu suggests the two can transform the Middle East.

“I believe that we can strengthen security, broaden the circle of peace, and achieve a remarkable era of peace through strength."

Trump also extended an invitation to King Abdullah of Jordan to the White House. He wants Jordan and Egypt to help resettle refugees from Gaza so it can be rebuilt. So far, both countries are rejecting the president's offer.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty declared, "We have a clear vision regarding the reconstruction (of the Gaza Strip) without this leading to the expulsion of any citizen from his land. We have a clear vision in this regard."

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Hamas released three more hostages on Saturday. Israelis were delighted to see the reunions for Yarden Bibas, Ofer Calderon, and Israeli-American Keith Seigal. 

These men and the other freed hostages described the hellish conditions Hamas kept them in for more than 15 months.

Some were held in cages and without medical care. Others saw friends murdered or die slowly. Some were forbidden to cry or to hold hands with other hostages.

A member of the Israel Defense Forces Medical Corps said some were held in tunnels for up to eight months straight, without daylight and little human contact.

Yarden Bibas indicated Hamas taunted him about the fate of his wife Shiri and two sons, Ariel and Kfir. Israeli officials say they have "grave concern" about whether they are still alive. 

Former hostage Daniella Gilboa posted on social media, "I knew the only thing that could save us was faith." She waited for the moment she could recite the Prayer of Thanksgiving in her synagogue.

Some of the captives were also held in United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) facilities.

Israel has now banned UNRWA activities within its borders. It's the most extensive action against the U.N. agency.

CBN News has reported for years that UNRWA's curriculum teaches generations of Palestinian children to fight for Israel's destruction.

The war in Gaza also exposed the incestuous relationship between UNRWA and the terror group Hamas, where many UNRWA employees worked for Hamas and shared UNRWA facilities.