The Trump administration last week unveiled a Middle East peace plan to end the nearly two-year-long war between Israel and Hamas.
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a joint press conference in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, …Show more
“This could be done the easy way or it can be done the hard way, but it will be done. We prefer the easy, but it has to be done,” Netanyahu told reporters, adding that if Hamas does not agree to the plan, “Israel will finish the job by itself.”
The plan calls for the war to “immediately end” and pledges the release of hostages in Gaza within 72 hours, if both sides agree to the proposal.
Gaza would also be redeveloped, with the option for Palestinians who want to remain in the country to stay, there would be amnesty for Hamas fighters and temporary governance by a new, Palestinian committee that would be overseen by a “Board of Peace” that Trump would chair alongside other leaders, including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
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The plan is contingent on support from Hamas, with Trump issuing a warning that if the Palestinian group doesn’t accept, Israel will have full U.S. backing to continue military operations in Gaza.
“We had a long, strong talk, Bibi and I,” Trump said. “He understands it’s time.”
Trump presented the plan to Arab leaders last week in private, ramping up pressure on an increasingly isolated Israel to end the war that began when Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 and taking 251 hostages.
Since then, Israel has leveled large swaths of Gaza. An estimated 66,000 Palestinians have died, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The growing death toll and dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza have sparked international outrage, prompting multiple western countries to recognize a Palestinian state in defiance of the U.S. and Israel.
The meeting also produced another development that could help with peace negotiations: during a call with Trump and the Qatari prime minister, Netanyahu expressed regret over a missile strike in Qatar against Hamas that killed a Qatari serviceman. Netanyahu further expressed regret about violating Qatari sovereignty and said Israel will not conduct strikes in Qatar again, the White House said in a statement.
Israel carried out an airstrike targeting the Hamas political leadership in Doha, Qatar on Sept. 9. Six people, including five Hamas members, were killed.
Netanyahu visited the White House for the fourth time this year, seeking to shore up support from a key ally amid an intense push by world leaders to stop the conflict. Britain, Canada, Australia and France all recognized a Palestinian state this month, infuriating Netanyahu who denounced the move during a fiery United Nations address. Many delegates walked out during the speech.
The U.S. has strongly backed Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 assault, but Trump has grown increasingly frustrated as the conflict drags out. Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Netanyahu on Sept. 27 to hash out the details.
A pivotal aspect of the plan for Israel: Releasing round 48 hostages believed to be remaining in Gaza, with about 20 still alive.
Netanyahu has not ruled out future strikes on Hamas leaders inside the nation that has been helping to negotiate a ceasefire agreement with Hamas and reinforced his opposition to an independent Palestinian state in his U.N. speech.
