ALBAWABA- A police vehicle burst into flames outside the White House on Monday afternoon, just hours before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump are set to meet for high-stakes talks on ending the Gaza war.
The fire, reported at around 1:30 p.m. EDT near the Pennsylvania Avenue perimeter, drew a swift response from Secret Service agents and local fire crews.
Authorities quickly extinguished the blaze, which early assessments suggest may have been triggered by a mechanical fault.
No injuries were reported, and officials stressed the incident posed no threat to White House security.
The timing, however, injected drama into an already tense diplomatic backdrop. In the evening, Netanyahu will sit down with Trump to discuss a sweeping 21-point plan aimed at halting the conflict that has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians since October 2023.
The plan, first unveiled by Trump at the UN General Assembly, calls for a ceasefire, the release of 48 Israeli hostages within 48 hours, and a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
It also proposes a technocratic administration to govern Gaza, backed by $50 billion in Arab-led reconstruction funds and international stabilization forces.
Trump is expected to press Netanyahu on concessions, including halting West Bank annexation and permitting safe passage for disarmed Hamas fighters into exile—terms Netanyahu has publicly resisted without “ironclad security guarantees.”
Meanwhile, families of Israeli hostages rallied in New York, urging Trump to hold Netanyahu accountable, accusing the Israeli leader of prioritizing politics over peace.
The summit, Netanyahu’s fourth White House visit since Trump returned to office, will be closely watched by Arab mediators, European allies, and international stakeholders.
