Trump, Netanyahu confirm peace deal, awaiting Hamas sign-on

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday agreed to a 20-point plan for peace in the Gaza Strip. As the two held a joint news conference, Trump called the plan the first step to eternal peace in the Middle East. The White House said the proposal has broad support among Arab and Muslim countries in the region. Hamas leadership has yet to respond to the framework. Trump said he is very confident that peace is imminent. He did not take press questions, nor did he clarify whether there is a deadline for the terrorist organization to agree to the plan.

What is involved? The first point on the plan is the return of all living and deceased hostages in Hamas custody within 72 hours of agreement, according to a copy of the plan emailed to WORLD. If Hamas does that, Israel would release 250 incarcerated Palestinians serving life sentences and some 1,700 Gazans who were detained after the Oct. 7 attacks, including women and children. Both Israel and the United States agreed that Hamas must be moved out of Gaza. According to the peace plan, neighboring Arab and Muslim nations would agree in writing to demilitarize Gaza, using force if necessary. Hamas members who surrender and lay down their arms would receive amnesty or safe passage out of the country. All military installations will be destroyed, and a transitional government will be set up. A new Gaza government would not involve the Palestinian Authority, but would receive training from a group of international leaders called the Board of Peace, to be led by Trump. The Israeli military would remain in Gaza but slowly phase out its presence.

Netanyahu did not clarify whether there was a proposed timeline for the withdrawal, but he said his military will permanently guard a security perimeter around Gaza.

What did Israel give up? Israel made a concession by allowing the international community to take over diplomatic efforts and run a rehabilitated Gaza. While at the White House on Monday, Netanyahu called Qatar Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and apologized for an Israeli strike in Doha earlier this month. The strike killed five Hamas leaders and one Qatari security guard. Netanyahu reiterated it was an attack on Hamas, not Qatar, but acknowledged that it did violate Qatar’s sovereignty. The plan also denies Israel the ability to annex the West Bank. But Trump promised Netanyahu at the news conference that if Hamas rejects the deal, or if other Arab and Muslim nations fail to “take care of Hamas,” then Israel has U.S. support to eliminate the terrorist group by whatever means necessary.

Dig deeper: Read my report on Trump’s address to the United Nations and his goals in ending the war in Israel.