Netanyahu cancels planned Washington trip next week

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has canceled his planned trip to Washington next week, his office said Thursday.

In a statement, the office said the funeral of US Sen. Lindsey Graham "appears to have been postponed until the end of the month."

"As a result, the prime minister will not travel to the United States next week," it added.

Israeli public broadcaster KAN, reported Wednesday that Netanyahu had been expected to leave for Washington on Saturday, meet US President Donald Trump on Monday and attend Graham's funeral on Tuesday.

Later Wednesday, US news outlet Axios, citing a senior White House official, reported that no meeting between Trump and Netanyahu was on the president's schedule for next week.

The cancellation comes despite close US-Israeli ties, which have recently been strained by differences over regional policy. Trump has called for an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and Syria, while Netanyahu has opposed such a move.