Reuters. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday (September 29) that it is time for Palestinian militant group Hamas to accept a 20-point peace proposal that he agreed to with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the future of Gaza.
"We're not quite finished," Trump said at a White House press conference. "We have to get Hamas, but I think they're going to be able to do that. So now it's time for Hamas to accept the terms of the plan that we've put forward today."
President Donald Trump said on Monday (September 29) that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to back a U.S.-sponsored Gaza peace proposal aimed at ending a nearly two-year-old war in the Palestinian enclave, including a ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Netanyahu, Trump said they were "beyond very close" to forging an elusive peace deal and that he hoped Hamas militants would also accept it.
The White House released Trump's 20-point plan that calls for a ceasefire, a swap ofhostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a staged Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave, Hamas disarmament and a transitional government led by an international body.
"I also want to thank Prime Minister Netanyahu for agreeing to the plan and for trusting that if we work together, we can bring an end to the death and destruction that we've seen for so many years, decades, even centuries and begin a new chapter of security, peace and prosperity for the entire region," Trump said.
In Netanyahu’s fourth visit to the White House since Trump returned to office in January, the right-wing Israeli leader was looking to shore up his country’s most important relationship after a slew of Western leaders formally embraced Palestinian statehood last week in defiance of the U.S. and Israel.
Trump, who sharply criticized the recognition moves as a prize for Hamas, was seeking Netanyahu’s agreement despite Israel's misgivings on parts of the plan.
It marked a stepped-up diplomatic effort from the U.S. president, who vowed during the 2024 presidential campaign to quickly bring the conflict to a close and has since repeatedly claimed that a peace deal was near, only for it to fail to materialize.
