Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted an invitation on Saturday to speak before a joint session of the U.S. Congress.

He said he is "excited for the honor of presenting to the representatives of the American people and the entire world the truth about our just war against those who wish to kill us."

The statement from the Prime Minister's Office boasted that he would be the first world leader to address a joint session of Congress for the fourth time. He is now tied for third with wartime British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

No date has been set, but the speech is expected to take place "in the next eight weeks or shortly after the August recess," a source familiar with the matter told The Hill.

On Friday, leaders of the U.S. Congress from both parties sent Netanyahu the invitation, showing wartime support for the long-time ally of Israel despite growing political divisions over the war against Hamas in Gaza.

In the letter, the congressional leaders stated that the invitation is intended "to highlight America's solidarity with Israel."

The letter was signed by House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican.

They wrote: "We invite you to share the Israeli government's vision for defending democracy, combating terrorism, and establishing a just and lasting peace in the region."

An Israeli official confirmed that Netanyahu received the invitation to reporters.

The Hill reported that the invitation—first proposed by Johnson—was issued after weeks of delays due to Schumer, who delivered a speech on the Senate floor in March calling for early elections in Israel to replace Netanyahu. Schumer eventually acquiesced, saying he was willing to cooperate on Netanyahu's speech as long as it was done in a bipartisan manner.

"The horrific attacks on October 7 shocked the world and forced your nation to struggle for its very existence. We stand in solidarity with the State of Israel in your fight against terrorism, especially as Hamas continues to hold American and Israeli citizens hostage, and its leaders endanger regional stability. For this reason, on behalf of the bipartisan leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, we would like to invite you to speak before a joint session of Congress."

A source familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel that Netanyahu had spoken in recent weeks with Republican leaders in Congress about a potential speech before a joint session, viewing it as an opportunity to present Israel's case on the global stage while being less concerned about certain issues and political ramifications within the United States.

Republicans, including Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, have been eager to show their support for Netanyahu and highlight Democratic divisions over Israel.

Nearly 60 Democrats boycotted Netanyahu's last speech before a joint session in 2015, which was organized by Republican congressional leaders behind then-President Barack Obama's back so that the Israeli Prime Minister could press against the nuclear deal Washington later signed with Iran that year.

A significantly larger number of Democrats are likely to boycott Netanyahu's speech, as the war in Gaza has become increasingly unpopular among progressives.

The war ignited by Hamas's attack on October 7 has led to a rift in Netanyahu's relationship with American President Joe Biden, who first threatened in May to withhold weapons from Israel if it launched a large-scale attack on civilian areas in Rafah.

While Netanyahu has supported the congressional invitation, he has not yet received an invitation from the White House, and making the trip to Washington without an invitation will only highlight divisions.

Even before October 7, Netanyahu had not received an invitation to visit the White House since returning to office in late 2022, as he quickly angered Biden over his efforts to radically overhaul the Israeli judiciary and actions seen as undermining the U.S. administration's attempts to maintain future prospects for a two-state solution. Biden visited Israel shortly after the Hamas-led attack, in the first trip by an American president to the Jewish state amid the war.

The invitation on Friday came just minutes after Biden delivered a speech outlining what he called the latest Israeli proposal for a hostage deal and a ceasefire to end the war, urging Hamas to accept the offer.

A congressional aide told The Times of Israel that Schumer's office had coordinated with the White House on this matter.