Officials at New York's JFK Airport are investigating how four handguns disappeared from luggage belonging to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Natanyahu's security team.

The guns were in two suitcases that went missing when the Israeli security officials flew from New York to Washington on American Airlines on Sunday.

The bags eventually turned up in Los Angeles but the guns were gone.

Port Authority spokeswoman Jennifer Friedberg said the agency is investigating the matter.

An American Airlines spokesman did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Netanyahu met with President Barack Obama in the White House on Tuesday.