LAST UPDATE
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52 mins ago
US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu have agreed on a peace plan for Gaza, calling on Hamas to accept its terms.
The two leaders have met at the White House in Washington DC to unveil their plan to end the ongoing war in Gaza and develop a US plan on post-war governance in the Palestinian territory.
The proposal would see an end to the war within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting the deal with all hostages being returned to Israel, living and dead. It would also see the phased withdrawal of Israeli forces and a transitional authority headed by Trump.
A so-called Board of Peace will be made up of Palestinians and world experts – including former UK prime minister Tony Blair, Trump announced at the news conference. Blair’s name has been mooted in previous media reports as being involved in work behind the scenes to establish a post-war plan for the besieged Gaza Strip.
The deal would demand Hamas militants fully disarm and be excluded from future roles in the government. However, those who agreed to “peaceful co-existence” would be given amnesty.
Following Israeli withdrawal, the borders would be opened to aid and investment.
In a crucial change from Trump’s earlier apparent goals, Palestinians will not be forced to leave Gaza and instead, the document said, “we will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.”
Netanyahu made clear he was in favor, saying it “achieves our war aims,” while Trump said he was hopeful that Hamas would also give its backing.
Approval from all sides was “beyond very close,” Trump said.
However, many important details remained to be clarified.
Netanyahu stressed to reporters that Israeli forces would retain responsibility for Gaza security “for the foreseeable future.”
He also cast doubt on whether the Palestinian Authority, which runs the West Bank territory, would be allowed a role in Gaza’s governance.
“Gaza will have a peaceful, civilian administration that is run neither by Hamas nor by the Palestinian Authority,” said Netanyahu.
The US president had met key Arab leaders at the United Nations last week and said Sunday on social media that “ALL ARE ON BOARD FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL, FIRST TIME EVER.”
Netanyahu had recently given little reason for optimism, vowing in a defiant UN speech Friday to “finish the job” against Hamas and rejecting Palestinian statehood – recently recognised by several Western nations.
But normally a staunch ally of Netanyahu, the US president has shown increasing signs of frustration ahead of the Israeli premier’s fourth White House visit since Trump’s return to power.
Trump was infuriated by Israel’s recent strike on Hamas members in key US ally Qatar.
And he warned Netanyahu last week against annexing the Israeli-occupied West Bank, as some of Netanyahu’s cabinet members have urged, a move that would seriously complicate the route to Palestinian statehood.
Netanyahu’s coalition government is propped up by the far-right ministers who oppose a peace deal.
