UPDATED 2:46 P.M.
WASHINGTON/CAIRO/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -President Donald Trump said on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to back a U.S.-sponsored Gaza peace proposal aimed at ending a nearly two-year-old war in the Palestinian enclave, including a ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Netanyahu, Trump said they were “beyond very close” to forging an elusive peace deal and that he hoped Hamas militants would also accept it.
The White House released Trump’s 20-point plan that calls for a ceasefire, a swap of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a staged Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave, Hamas disarmament and a transitional government led by an international body.
“I also want to thank Prime Minister Netanyahu for agreeing to the plan and for trusting that if we work together, we can bring an end to the death and destruction that we’ve seen for so many years, decades, even centuries and begin a new chapter of security, peace and prosperity for the entire region,” Trump said.
In Netanyahu’s fourth visit to the White House since Trump returned to office in January, the right-wing Israeli leader was looking to shore up his country’s most important relationship after a slew of Western leaders formally embraced Palestinian statehood last week in defiance of the U.S. and Israel.
Trump, who sharply criticized the recognition moves as a prize for Hamas, was seeking Netanyahu’s agreement despite Israel’s misgivings on parts of the plan.
It marked a stepped-up diplomatic effort from the U.S. president, who vowed during the 2024 presidential campaign to quickly bring the conflict to a close and has since repeatedly claimed that a peace deal was near, only for it to fail to materialize.
Hamas’ apparent absence from the negotiations has raised questions about the prospects for the latest initiative.
TANKS HEAD DEEPER INTO GAZA CITY
Washington presented its peace plan to Arab and Muslim states on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly last week, and Trump’s main objective on Monday was to try to close the remaining gaps with Netanyahu.
The White House talks came as Israeli tanks on Monday thrust deeper into the heart of Gaza City. Israel has launched one of its biggest offensives of the war this month, with Netanyahu saying he aims to wipe out Hamas in its final redoubts. The war has left much of Gaza in ruins and caused a major humanitarian crisis.
Arriving by limousine, Netanyahu was greeted by Trump outside the White House doors with a handshake, a stark contrast to the Israeli Prime Minister’s chilly reception when he spoke on Friday before the U.N. General Assembly, where scores of delegates walked out in protest.
Previous U.S.-backed ceasefire efforts have fallen apart due to a failure to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas, and Netanyahu has vowed to continue fighting until Hamas is completely dismantled.
(Reporting by Matt Spetalnick, Steve Holland and Trevor Hunnicutt in Washington, Howard Goller in New York Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo, Alexander Cornwell in Jerusalem; Writing by Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Peter Graff, Jon Boyle, Aidan Lewis and Nia Williams)
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WASHINGTON/CAIRO/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for pivotal talks on Monday to press him to back a Gaza peace proposal aimed at ending a nearly two-year-old war that has seen Israel face growing international isolation.
In Netanyahu’s fourth visit since Trump returned to office in January, the right-wing Israeli leader was looking to shore up his country’s most important relationship after a slew of Western leaders formally embraced Palestinian statehood last week in defiance of the U.S. and Israel.
Trump, who had sharply criticized the recognition moves as a prize for Hamas, was seeking Netanyahu’s agreement on a framework to end the war in the Palestinian territory and free the remaining hostages held by the militants.
It marked a stepped-up diplomatic effort by a president who vowed during the 2024 presidential campaign to quickly bring the conflict to a close and has since repeatedly claimed that a deal was near, only for it to fail to materialize.
TANKS HEAD DEEPER INTO GAZA CITY
Washington presented a 21-point peace plan to Arab and Muslim states on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly last week, and Trump’s main objective on Monday was to try to close the remaining gaps with Netanyahu.
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 Netanyahu saying he aims to wipe out Hamas in its final redoubts. The war has left much of Gaza in ruins and caused a major humanitarian crisis.
Arriving by limousine, Netanyahu was greeted by Trump outside the White House doors with a handshake, a stark contrast to the chilly reception when he spoke on Friday before the U.N. General Assembly, where scores of delegates walked out in protest.
Asked about the prospects for a peace deal, Trump told reporters: “I’m very confident.”
Though Netanyahu praises Trump as Israel’s closest ally, there are signs of Israeli scepticism over the proposal, as well as some reservations among Arab states. Hamas’ apparent absence from the negotiations has also raised questions.
The plan, crafted by U.S. 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.
The plan outlines a vague path toward “Palestinian statehood” once Gaza’s redevelopment is well under way and the Palestinian Authority undertakes reforms, but does not provide details or a timeframe, according to a source briefed on the matter.
Leaving the door open to a Palestinian state would be hard for Netanyahu to accept, since it is something he has vowed will never happen.
Under the plan, the U.S. would also work with Arab allies and other international parties to develop a temporary stabilization force to oversee security in Gaza, the source said.
Hamas spokesman Taher Al-Nono signalled there had been no softening of the group’s refusal to disarm, and said it had not yet received Trump’s plan. “When we do, we will state our position on it according to the interests of our people,” he said.
The proposal also calls for no further Israeli attacks on Qatar, a White House official said on condition of anonymity. Israel angered Qatar, a U.S. ally, and drew criticism from Trump for an airstrike against Hamas leaders in Doha on September 9.
Netanyahu apologised to Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani during a phone call that included Trump on Monday, a source close to 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 U.S.-backed ceasefire efforts have fallen apart due to a failure to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas, and Netanyahu has vowed to continue fighting until Hamas is completely dismantled.
ISRAELI, ARAB CONCERNS
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 Trump’s meeting with 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 7, 2023, killing around 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.
(Reporting by Matt Spetalnick, Steve Holland and Trevor Hunnicutt in Washington; Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo, Alexander Cornwell in Jerusalem; Writing by Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Peter Graff, Jon Boyle, Aidan Lewis)
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