Trump to host al-Sharaa in first-ever visit by a Syrian president to White House, official says

WEST PALM BEACH Fla AP President Donald Trump will host Ahmad al-Sharaa for talks a first-ever visit by a Syrian president to the White House an administration official explained Saturday The official who was not authorized to comment publicly about the yet to be formally informed engagement disclosed that the meeting is expected to take place Nov Trump met with al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia in May in what was the first encounter between the two nations leaders in years Syria continues to struggle to emerge from decades of international isolation The meeting on the sidelines of Trump s get-together with the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council was seen as a major turn of events for a Syria that is still adjusting to life after the over -year iron-gripped rule of the Assad family Al-Sharaa once had a million U S bounty on his head Under the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani al-Sharaa had ties to al-Qaida and joined insurgents battling U S forces in Iraq before entering the Syrian war He was even imprisoned by U S troops there for several years Al-Sharaa is expected during his visit to sign an agreement on joining the U S -led coalition against ISIS the official stated Al-Sharaa in the May meeting became the first Syrian leader to meet an American president since Hafez Assad met Bill Clinton in Geneva in The visit comes as Trump is urging Middle East allies to seize the moment to build a durable peace in the volatile region after Israel and Hamas earlier this month began implementing a ceasefire and hostage deal That agreement aims to bring about a permanent end to the brutal two-year war in Gaza The fragile ceasefire and hostage deal continues to hold but the situation remains precarious Israeli strikes in Gaza earlier this week killed people including dozens of women and children the enclave s wellness functionaries explained The strikes the deadliest since the ceasefire began on Oct marked the bulk serious challenge to the tenuous truce to date The strikes came Tuesday night after Israel accused Hamas of killing a soldier and staging the discovery of a deceased hostage News of the planned meeting between Trump and al-Sharaa was first stated by Axios