Israel has agreed to a United States proposal to end its war on Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump have announced after holding talks at the White House. Source: ABC News.
The White House has released a 20-point peace plan that would encourage Palestinians to remain in Gaza, see hostages and prisoners released on both sides, and see the Israeli military end its attacks, recently labelled a genocide by a UN Commission of Inquiry.
“So this is a big, big day, a beautiful day,” Mr Trump said. “Potentially one of the great days ever in civilisation.”
The plan, if enacted, would establish a temporary Palestinian governing body, supervised by a “Board of Peace” headed by Mr Trump.
Former UK prime minister Tony Blair would also be on the board.
The plan includes conditions that have previously been rejected by both sides. It is dependent on Hamas’s agreement, though the plan itself says it would be partially implemented even if Hamas rejects it.
If Hamas did not agree, Mr Trump said, “Israel would have my full backing to finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas”.
“But I have a feeling that we’re going to have a positive answer,” Mr Trump said.
Key elements of the plan include:
- An immediate end to Israel’s attacks on Gaza, and the gradual withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
- Palestinians to remain in, or return to, Gaza if they choose
- The disarmament of Hamas, with an amnesty offered to members who commit to peaceful coexistence with Israel
- A surge of aid into Gaza, to be distributed by the United Nations and Red Crescent
The plan says Israel “will not occupy or annex Gaza”, and the ISF will train “vetted Palestinian police forces” to eventually maintain internal security.
“Practically, the IDF will progressively hand over the Gaza territory it occupies to the ISF,” the plan says, but notes that Israel would also maintain a “security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat”.
Mr Netanyahu said the plan achieved Israel’s war aims.
The leaders did not take questions at a White House press conference where they outlined their positions on the deal. A reporter asked if any Palestinians had been consulted on the plan, but was ignored.
Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said the group had not yet formally received the plan, Al Jazeera reported.
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Benjamin Netanyahu agrees to Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan (By Brad Ryan, ABC News)
