WASHINGTON, United States
United States President, Donald Trump, said on Monday that Washington was "very close" to securing peace in Israel's war on Gaza during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
"Things that have been going on for hundreds of years and thousands of years we're going to, 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 and doing a job," he told reporters, referring to Netanyahu by a nickname.
The 20-point peace plan for Gaza released on Monday proposes an end to Israel's war on Gaza and the return of all Israeli captives, 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 Palestinians from Gaza who were detained after the start of the war on October 7, 2023, the plan said.
During the press conference Trump reiterated his support for Israel's war on the enclave: "Israel would have my full backing to finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas but I hope that we're going to have a deal for peace and if Hamas rejects the deal, which is always possible, they're the only one left. Everyone else has accepted it but I have a feeling that we're going to have a positive answer."
Trump also made comments on the Palestinian Authority, which is included in the 20-point plan as taking over the administration of Gaza after it conducts a series of reforms. Trump said that "there are many Palestinians who wish to live in peace."
"I challenge the Palestinians to take responsibility for their destiny, because that's what we're giving them," he continued, adding, "if the Palestinian Authority does not complete the reforms that I laid out ... they'll have only themselves to blame."
Following Trump's announcement, Netanyahu went on to express his support for the plan, saying: "I support your plan to end the war in Gaza, which achieves our war aims. It will bring back to Israel all our hostages, dismantle Hamas' military capabilities, end its political rule, and ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel."
Immediately following the announcement Hamas said that it had yet to receive the proposal, although an official privy to the talks later told AFP that mediators Qatar and Egypt had handed the group the plan.
Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egypt's intelligence head Hassan Mahmoud Rashad "just met with Hamas negotiators and shared the 20-point plan. The Hamas negotiators said they would review it in good faith and provide a response," the source said.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which is also fighting against Israel in Gaza alongside Hamas, slammed the proposal, calling it "a recipe for continued aggression against the Palestinian people. Through this, Israel is attempting - via the United States - to impose what it could not achieve through war."
"Therefore, we consider the American-Israeli declaration a formula for igniting the region," it added.
The Palestinian Authority, however, said that it "welcomes the sincere and determined efforts of President Donald J Trump to end the war on Gaza, and affirms its confidence in his ability to find a path toward peace".
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