Trump proposes 20-point Gaza peace plan endorsed by Netanyahu

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U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday laid out a 20-point proposal supported by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that would end the war in Gaza and free remaining hostages, leaning heavily into conditions that Hamas has previously rejected.

The U.S. President, who has become increasingly frustrated by the bloody conflict, seems to be betting that the militants are now so decimated that they have no choice but to accept what he and Mr. Netanyahu are framing as a last, best offer.

“If Hamas rejects your plan, Mr. President, or if they supposedly accept it and then do everything to counter it, then Israel will finish the job by itself,” Mr. Netanyahu said after meeting with Mr. Trump at the White House. “This can be done the easy way or it can be done the hard way, but it will be done.”

Qatar’s prime minister and Egypt’s intelligence chief presented Mr. 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.

The Palestinian government in the occupied West Bank said it welcomed Mr. Trump’s plan to end the war and pledged to implement reforms called for in the proposal. And the governments of Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates issued a joint statement applauding the proposal.

While Mr. Trump claimed he is now on the precipice of victory in his long effort to forge peace, the prospects of a finding an endgame to a war that is coming up on the start of its third year still appeared shaky. Many points of tension remain.

There is little mention in the proposal of the goal of Palestinian statehood, which many in the region and beyond say is the linchpin for long-term peace. The plan largely sidelines the Palestinian Authority until it completes vast reforms. And a requirement for Hamas to disarm has been dismissed as a non-starter in earlier negotiations.

Mr. Trump’s plan calls for establishing a temporary governing committee that would be headed by Mr. Trump and include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. A Palestinian committee of technocrats would oversee civilian affairs, with power handed over later to a reformed Palestinian Authority.

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The plan does not require people to leave the Gaza Strip, as laid out in an earlier Mr. Trump plan roundly rejected by Palestinians and regional leaders.

It does call for all remaining hostages to be released by Hamas within 72 hours of Israel accepting the plan, an effort that would seem difficult to complete with the captives believed to be spread throughout the territory. A senior Trump administration official, who was not authorized to discuss the plan’s details publicly, said the 72 hours starts when Hamas accepts the proposal.

Hundreds of Palestinians, including many serving life sentences, will be released by Israel, according to the proposal.

“I think we are beyond very close,” Mr. Trump said. “We’re not quite finished. We have to get Hamas.”

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 Mr. Netanyahu has long demanded as part of any long-term truce to end the war.

The President promised Mr. Netanyahu that Israel would have his administration’s “full backing” to further decimate Hamas if the group doesn’t agree to the proposal.

“This is a different Hamas,” Mr. Trump said. “Their leadership has been killed three times over. So you’re really dealing with different people.”

The Palestinian government in the occupied West Bank welcomed Mr. Trump’s plan and pledged to implement reforms it calls for.

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“We have affirmed our desire for a modern, democratic, and non-militarized Palestinian state, committed to pluralism and the peaceful transfer of power,” the Palestinian government said in a statement. It promised a series of reforms, including new elections, changes to its schoolbooks and ending a system that pays the families of militants involved in attacks on Israelis.

Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose government recently joined with allies to formally recognize Palestinian statehood and rebuke Israel for its conduct in Gaza, said in a statement Monday evening that Canada welcomes the proposal.

“As the critical next step, Hamas must immediately release all hostages,” he said. “Canada stands ready to support the sustained, unimpeded, and large-scale delivery of humanitarian aid into and throughout Gaza.”

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Mr. Netanyahu on Monday also attempted to mend fences with Qatar, the key Hamas interlocutor and an important U.S. ally.

He expressed his regret to his Qatari counterpart for a Sept. 9 military strike targeting Hamas officials in the Gulf emirate that infuriated Arab leaders and triggered rare criticism of Israel from the U.S.

Mr. Netanyahu made the call to Qatar’s PM, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, as he met with Mr. Trump.

Mr. Trump described the exchange between the Israeli and Qatari leaders as a “heart-to-heart” call.

“As a first step, Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed his deep regret that Israel’s missile strike against Hamas targets in Qatar unintentionally killed a Qatari serviceman,” the White House said in a statement. “He further expressed regret that, in targeting Hamas leadership during hostage negotiations, Israel violated Qatari sovereignty and affirmed that Israel will not conduct such an attack again in the future.”

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Israel struck the headquarters of Hamas’ political leadership in Qatar as the group’s top figures gathered to consider a U.S. proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The strike on the territory of a U.S. ally was a stunning escalation and risked upending talks aimed at winding down the war and freeing hostages. No senior Hamas officials were killed in the strike.

The attack on an energy-rich Gulf nation hosting thousands of American troops, which has served as a key mediator between Israel and Hamas throughout the war and even before, was described by Mr. Trump as out of step with Israeli and U.S. interests. And Mr. Trump sought to move quickly to assuage his Qatari allies.

The White House said Sheik Mohammed welcomed Mr. Netanyahu’s “assurances” and emphasized “Qatar’s readiness to continue contributing meaningfully to regional security and stability.”

But even as the White House was spotlighting the apology, Israel’s far-right national security minister newly defended the decision to carry out the attack.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, a key coalition partner of Mr. Netanyahu’s, in a posting on X called the operation “an important, just and ethical attack.”

“It is very good that it happened,” he added.

The White House talks, and apology from Mr. Netanyahu, come at a tenuous moment. Israel is increasingly isolated, losing support from many countries that were long its steadfast allies. At home, Mr. Netanyahu’s governing coalition appears more fragile than ever. And the White House is showing signs of impatience.

It remains to be seen how Mr. 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.

Mr. Trump joined forces with Mr. Netanyahu during Israel’s brief war with Iran in June, ordering U.S. stealth bombers to strike three nuclear sites, and he has supported the Israeli leader during his corruption trial, describing the case as a “witch hunt.”

But the relationship has become more tense lately.

Last week, Mr. Trump vowed to prevent Israel from annexing the West Bank – an idea promoted by some of Mr. Netanyahu’s hard-line governing partners. The international community opposes annexation, saying it would destroy hopes for a Palestinian state.

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Hamas is believed to be holding 48 hostages, 20 of whom are believed by Israel to be alive. The militant group has previously demanded Israel agree to end the war and withdraw from all of Gaza as part of any permanent ceasefire.

Mr. Trump discussed the plan with Arab and Islamic leaders in New York last week on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. He hailed the deal, if it coalesces, as a potential breakthrough moment that would usher in lasting peace and an era prosperity in the Middle East.

“I challenge the Palestinians to take responsibility for their destiny because that’s what we’re giving them. We’re giving them responsibility for their destiny,” he said.

But apart from the U.S. leadership, Israel has lost much of the international goodwill it once could count on.

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At a special session of the UN Security Council last week, nation after nation expressed horror at the 2023 attack by Hamas militants that killed about 1,200 people in Israel, saw 251 taken hostage and triggered the war. Then many of the representatives went on to criticize the response by Israel and call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and influx of aid.

Israel’s sweeping offensive has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run administration. Its figures are seen as a reliable estimate by the UN and many independent experts. The fighting has displaced 90 per cent of the Gaza population, with an increasing number now starving.

In recent weeks, 28 Western-aligned countries that circled behind Israel two years ago have called on it to end the offensive in Gaza. They also criticized Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian aid, which have contributed to famine in parts of Gaza.

Ten countries – including Britain, France, Canada and Australia – recognized Palestinian statehood last week, hoping to revive the long-moribund peace process. Several Arab states, including some with long-standing relations with Israel, have accused it of committing genocide in Gaza, as have leading genocide scholars, UN experts and some Israeli and international rights groups. The UN’s highest court is weighing genocide allegations raised by South Africa that Israel vehemently denies.