US President Donald Trump on Monday declared what he called a “historic day for peace” after unveiling a US-brokered plan to end the war in Gaza and saying he had been “close” to clinching an agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In opening remarks at the White House, Trump thanked Netanyahu “for agreeing to the plan,” and told reporters, “Today is a historic day for peace. Let’s call it eternal peace in the Middle East.” The president said he felt “very confident” the deal could win acceptance from Hamas and other parties and that, if accepted, it would bring an immediate end to the fighting.

The president outlined several key elements of the plan. He said that if Hamas agrees, “the proposal calls for release of all hostages” and would “mean an end to the war itself.

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