Trump Invites Netanyahu to the White House

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed on Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump has invited him to meet at the White House in two weeks, coinciding with his speech at the United Nations.

Netanyahu said during a press conference: "We will not stop the military escalation in Gaza until the hostages are returned."

For his part, Trump warned Hamas against using hostages as human shields, stating that this would face a "big problem."

Trump added, while leaving the White House heading to Britain: "They announced two days ago that they would use the hostages as human shields, and this is something that hasn't happened in a long time."

When asked about his support for the Israeli operation in Gaza, Trump said: "We do not have much information regarding the Gaza attack, but what I can say is that Hamas will face a big problem if they use hostages as human shields."

This statement comes at a time when Israel has begun a wide-ranging ground assault to take control of the city of Gaza, following aerial and naval bombardments and the use of explosive robots before two army divisions entered the city.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said: "Gaza is burning and our army is striking the terrorist infrastructure with an iron fist. We will not back down until the mission is completed with the defeat of Hamas and the release of the hostages."

In contrast, several countries have expressed their condemnation of Israel's expansion of its military operation in Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire.