A White House peace plan for Gaza released on Monday proposes an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas militants and the return of all hostages, living and dead, within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting the agreement.
If both sides agree to the proposal, “the war will immediately end”, according to the plan. Israeli forces will withdraw to agreed upon lines to prepare for the hostage release.
Once all hostages are released, Israel will release 250 Palestinians serving life sentences and 1,700 Gazans who were detained after the start of the war on October 7th, 2023, the plan said.
Washington presented a version of the 21-point peace plan to Arab and Muslim states on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last week, and US president Donald Trump’s main objective on Monday was to try to close the remaining gaps with Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
READ MORE
Speaking at a press conference in the White House on Monday with Mr Netanyahu, Mr Trump said he believed all sides were close to peace.
“At least we’re at a minimum, very, very close. And I think we’re beyond, very close. And I want to thank Bibi for really getting in there,” Mr Trump said.
However, if Hamas rejects the deal, Mr Trump said Israel would have the US’s “full backing to do what you would have to do”.
“Everyone understands that the ultimate result must be the elimination of any danger posed in the region, and that danger is caused by Hamas. The tyranny of terror has to end,” Mr Trump said.
Hamas spokesman Taher Al-Nono signalled earlier on Monday that there had been no softening of the group’s refusal to disarm, and said it had not yet received Mr Trump’s plan. “When we do, we will state our position on it according to the interests of our people,” he said.
[ Gaza death toll climbs above 66,000 as Netanyahu prepares to meet TrumpOpens in new window ]
The White House talks came as Israeli tanks on Monday thrust deeper into the heart of Gaza City, where Israel has launched one of its biggest offensives of the war this month, with Mr Netanyahu saying he aims to wipe out Hamas in its final redoubts. The war has left much of Gaza in ruins and caused a humanitarian crisis.
The plan, crafted by US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump first-term Middle East adviser Jared Kushner, envisions a ceasefire followed by the release within 48 hours of all remaining hostages held by Hamas in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Under the plan, the US would also work with Arab allies and other international parties to develop a temporary stabilisation force to oversee security in Gaza, the source said.
During the White House visit, Mr Netanyahu apologised to Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani during a phone call that included Mr Trump on Monday, a source close to Mr Netanyahu told Reuters.
A delegation from Qatar, which helped mediate previous indirect Israel-Hamas negotiations, was also at the White House, according to a separate source briefed on the talks.
Previous US-backed ceasefire efforts have fallen apart due to a failure to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas, and Mr Netanyahu has vowed to continue fighting until Hamas is completely dismantled.
Mr Netanyahu is under mounting pressure from the hostages’ families and, according to public opinion polls, a war-weary Israeli public. But he also risks the collapse of his governing coalition if far-right ministers believe he has made too many concessions for a peace deal.
Two foreign diplomats in the Middle East said Trump’s 21-point plan was less a detailed blueprint and more a set of broad objectives. Israel had objected to several elements and was seeking revisions in its discussions with the White House, they said, adding that Arab states were also seeking some amendments.
However, the diplomats said Arab states had largely backed the plan and were now waiting to see whether there would be significant changes following Mr Trump’s meeting with Mr Netanyahu.
Another source, familiar with the discussions, said Israeli officials had raised concerns with Washington over issues including the proposed involvement of Palestinian security forces in Gaza after the war, expelling Hamas officials from the territory and assigning overall security responsibility.
Sources in Egypt, which has acted as a mediator in ceasefire talks, said Cairo was concerned that the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority should not be sidelined from administering Gaza, and about guarantees that Israel would abide by any agreement’s terms once hostages were freed.
Hamas-led fighters precipitated the war on October 7th, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages in an attack on Israel, according to Israeli tallies. More than 66,000 Palestinians have since been killed in Israel’s assault, according to Gaza health authorities.
