President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday they’ve agreed on a plan to end the war in Gaza, but it’s unclear whether Hamas will accept the terms.
Trump on Monday laid out a 20-point plan for ending the Israel-Hamas war and establishing a temporary governing board in the war-battered Palestinian territory that would be headed by Trump and include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The plan does not require people to leave Gaza and calls for the war to end immediately if both sides accept it.
It also calls for all remaining hostages to be released by Hamas within 72 hours of Israel accepting the plan.
Qatar’s prime minister and Egypt’s intelligence chief presented Trump's proposal to Hamas negotiators, who are now reviewing it in "good faith," according to a person familiar with the matter.
The person was not authorized to comment and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
While Hamas has said in the past that it would agree to step back from governing Gaza, the militant group has refused to disarm, something Netanyahu has long demanded as part of any long-term truce to end the war.
The Palestinian government in the occupied West Bank welcomed Trump’s plan and pledged to implement reforms called for in the plan in order to return to Gaza and potentially clear the way for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The White House talks, and an apology from Netanyahu, come at a tenuous moment.
Israel is increasingly isolated, losing support from many countries that were long its steadfast allies.
At home, Netanyahu’s governing coalition appears more fragile than ever. And the White House is showing signs of impatience.
It remains to be seen how Netanyahu will be able to justify to far-right members of his coalition his acceptance of the proposal after promising to press against the militant organization until it was “eliminated.”
The Trump plan indicates that once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who "commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty."
The plan adds that members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza would be provided safe passage to receiving countries.