Washington: President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday that they had agreed on a plan to end the war in Gaza, though it remains uncertain whether Hamas will accept the terms.
Trump outlined a 20-point proposal that calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages within 72 hours of Israel’s acceptance, and the creation of a temporary governing board for Gaza. The board would be chaired by Trump and include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The plan rules out the displacement of Palestinians and provides for an eventual transition to postwar governance in the territory.
“If Hamas refuses, Israel will have the full backing of the United States to act,” Trump said at a joint news conference with Netanyahu. “We are very close, but Hamas has to agree.” Netanyahu added, “This can be done the easy way or the hard way, but it will be done.”
The announcement came as Netanyahu apologized to Qatar for an Israeli strike earlier this month that targeted Hamas officials in Doha but instead killed a Qatari serviceman. Trump described the exchange between Netanyahu and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani as a “heart-to-heart” call. According to the White House, Netanyahu pledged Israel would not repeat such an attack.
The strike on Qatari soil, a key U.S. ally and mediator in the conflict, drew strong condemnation across the Gulf and rare public criticism from Washington. While Qatar accepted Netanyahu’s assurances, Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, defended the attack as “just and ethical.”
At the White House, officials pressed both Israel and Hamas to finalize a ceasefire and hostage-release deal. “When you get to a good deal, both sides will be a little unhappy,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “But we need this conflict to end.”
Trump’s proposal, discussed with Arab leaders at the UN General Assembly last week, does not include expelling Palestinians from Gaza. Instead, it calls for Hamas to be disarmed, hundreds of Palestinian prisoners to be released, and an international security force to take over law enforcement in Gaza. Civilian affairs would be managed by a technocratic Palestinian committee before being transferred to a reformed Palestinian Authority—a step Netanyahu has publicly opposed.
Hamas, believed to be holding 48 hostages, has not yet formally received the offer but has previously rejected disarmament. The group has linked laying down arms to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Meanwhile, Palestinian envoy to the UN Riyad Mansour said his side is ready to work with Trump and Arab partners “to replace the unbearable reality of today with a just peace.”
Trump, who has strongly supported Netanyahu throughout the war, is showing signs of frustration after Israel’s missteps, including the Qatar strike and talk of West Bank annexation by Netanyahu’s hard-line allies. Still, he insisted Monday he was “very confident” that a deal to end the Gaza war is close.
