JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu landed in New York on Thursday ahead of his scheduled address to the 80th UN General Assembly.

Shortly after arriving, Netanyahu hosted US envoy Steve Witkoff at his New York residence. Israeli Channel 12 said talks between the two sides focused on a US plan to halt the Gaza war and the latest political developments.

The meeting also included Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.

Citing unnamed diplomatic sources, the channel said Witkoff and Kushner had recently briefed Israel on Trump’s 21-point peace plan to end the Gaza war, but Netanyahu and Dermer raised objections to some provisions.

Netanyahu is expected to address the UN General Assembly on Friday and meet Trump on Monday.

Netanyahu’s plane took an unusual route to the US, passing over Greece and Italy while avoiding France.

Israeli media linked the route change to an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against him and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

The Israeli army has killed more than 65,500 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and led to starvation and the spread of diseases.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.