JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a surprise visit to troops in southern Gaza on Thursday, days before his speech to the U.S. Congress.

Netanyahu’s visit to Rafah was announced just hours after Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, visited Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site.

Ben-Gvir’s move threatens to disrupt sensitive talks aimed at reaching a cease-fire in the 9-month-old Israel-Hamas war. Israeli negotiators landed in Cairo on Wednesday to keep working to bridge gaps between Israel and Hamas.

Netanyahu’s office announced his visit to Rafah once the prime minister had exited the war-torn Palestinian territory, with more details expected later Thursday.

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Israel Says It’s Close to Defeating Hamas in Rafah

Israeli forces invaded Rafah in early May, forcing most of the 2 million people sheltering there to flee and leaving the city a dusty ghost town full of bullet-riddled apartment buildings with blasted out walls and shattered windows.

Israel says it has nearly defeated Hamas forces in Rafah — an area identified earlier this year as the militant group’s’ last stronghold in Gaza.

In recent weeks, Israel has stepped up strikes in central Gaza, where many Palestinians have fled to escape fighting in other areas.

The two leaders’ visits came hours after Israel’s parliament overwhelmingly passed a resolution rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state. The vote, in an overnight session that lasted into Thursday morning, was largely symbolic and meant to send a message ahead of Netanyahu’s trip to the U.S.

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