Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida on Dec. 29, in what is seen as a crucial visit for the next steps of the fragile Gaza truce plan.
It will be Netanyahu's fifth visit to see key ally Trump in the United States this year.
His trip comes as the Trump administration and regional mediators push to proceed to the second stage of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu left for the U.S. on Dec. 28 and meet with Trump a day later in Florida at Mar-a-Lago resort.
Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that a wide range of regional issues was expected to be discussed, including Iran, talks on an Israel-Syria security agreement, the ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon and the next stages of the Gaza deal.
Concerning Gaza, the timing of the meeting is "very significant,” said Gershon Baskin, the co-head of peacebuilding commission the Alliance for Two States, who has taken part in back-channel negotiations with Hamas.
"Phase one is basically over, there's one remaining Israeli deceased hostage which they [Hamas] are having difficulty finding," he told AFP.
"Phase two has to begin, it's even late and I think the Americans realize that it's late because Hamas has had too much time to re-establish its presence and this is certainly not a situation that the Americans want to leave in place," he added.
Progress in moving to the second phase of October's Gaza ceasefire agreement, which was brokered by Washington and its regional allies, has so far been slow.
Both sides allege frequent ceasefire violations and mediators fear that Israel and Hamas alike are stalling.
Under the next stages, Israel is supposed to withdraw from its positions in Gaza, an interim authority is to govern the Palestinian territory instead of Hamas, and an international stabilization force (ISF) is to be deployed.
It also includes a provision for Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas to lay down its weapons -- a major sticking point.
