By Ryan Patrick Jones WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been invited to a meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on Feb. 4, the prime minister's office said in a statement on Tuesday.

The visit by the envoy, Steven Witkoff, was set to take place as Israeli and Hamas officials prepared for a new round of negotiations aimed at cementing the current cease-fire in Gaza and allowing more exchanges of hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

Benjamin Netanyahu has been invited to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House next week, the Israeli prime minister's office has said. The visit, yet to be confirmed by the Trump administration, is set to take place on 4 February.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says President Donald Trump has invited him to visit the White House on Feb. 4

The Trump-Netanyahu meeting comes after the US president repeatedly claimed credit for sealing an ongoing ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, which came after months of fruitless negotiations.

The visit, planned for 4 February, would make Netanyahu the first foreign leader to visit during Trump’s second term, though the Trump administration has yet to officially confirm the meeting.