No Word from White House on Whether Biden to Meet Netanyahu in Washington

 Pro-Palestinian demonstrators, including one holding an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, rally near the White House in Washington, DC, on June 8, 2024 to protest against Israel's actions in Gaza. (AFP)
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators, including one holding an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, rally near the White House in Washington, DC, on June 8, 2024 to protest against Israel's actions in Gaza. (AFP)
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No Word from White House on Whether Biden to Meet Netanyahu in Washington

 Pro-Palestinian demonstrators, including one holding an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, rally near the White House in Washington, DC, on June 8, 2024 to protest against Israel's actions in Gaza. (AFP)
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators, including one holding an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, rally near the White House in Washington, DC, on June 8, 2024 to protest against Israel's actions in Gaza. (AFP)

The White House declined to say on Sunday whether President Joe Biden will meet Benjamin Netanyahu when the Israeli prime minister visits Washington next month to address the US Congress.

"I don't have anything to announce today," Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in an interview with CBS's "Face the Nation," adding the two men were in regular communication.

"He's coming to address the Congress. The president talks to him all the time," Sullivan said.

Netanyahu is scheduled to address a joint session of Congress on July 24. Biden has been a staunch supporter of Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza, but there have been tensions between the two men over how Israel is conducting the war.

Biden, who is running for re-election in November, has faced criticism over his support for Israel from his left-leaning political base as the Palestinian death toll mounts from Israel's assault.

Sullivan said he hoped a ceasefire and hostage deal would be in place that by the time Netanyahu came to Washington. Hamas must simply say "yes" to the proposal on the table, he said.

Biden, who returns to the United States from France later on Sunday, has welcomed the rescue by Israeli forces of four hostages held by Hamas and vowed to keep working until all hostages were released and a ceasefire achieved.



Britain Announces Fresh Russia Shipping Sanctions

Plastic letters arranged to read "Sanctions" are placed in front of Russian flag colors in this illustration taken February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Plastic letters arranged to read "Sanctions" are placed in front of Russian flag colors in this illustration taken February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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Britain Announces Fresh Russia Shipping Sanctions

Plastic letters arranged to read "Sanctions" are placed in front of Russian flag colors in this illustration taken February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Plastic letters arranged to read "Sanctions" are placed in front of Russian flag colors in this illustration taken February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Britain said on Thursday it had sanctioned five ships and two other shipping entities under its Russian sanctions regime.
Earlier this month Britain slapped sanctions on 10 further ships in Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" of vessels which it says use illicit practices to avoid Western restrictions on Russian oil, Reuters reported.
Russia rejects Western pressure to limit its oil exports, and in the past year there has been a growth in the number of tankers transporting cargoes that are not regulated or insured by conventional Western providers.
Thursday's sanctioned entities were White Fox Ship Management and Ocean Speedstar Solutions OPC. The ships were Asya Energy, Pioneer, North Sky, SCF La Perouse and Nova Energy.