Washington: US President Donald Trump formally announced his 20-point peace plan to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
The White House released the plan on Monday as Trump met the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.
While addressing the media along with the Israeli PM, Trump said if Hamas accepts the proposal, the hostages would be released and the war would end.
“Now it’s time for Hamas to accept the terms of the plan that we’ve put forward today. I’m hearing Hamas wants to get this done,” Trump said.
However, he warned that if Hamas rejects the plan, “Israel would have my full backing to finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas.”
Netanyahu also announced his support for the peace plan, saying that it achieves Israel’s “war aims” but also threatened to “finish the job” if Hamas does not agree.
“It can be done the easy way or it can be done the hard way,” he said.
Trump’s peace plan for Gaza outlines the establishment of a temporary technocratic government, with Israel pledging not to annex the Strip and ensuring that no residents are forced to leave. The agreement calls for an immediate end to the war if accepted, with all captives, both alive and deceased, returned within 72 hours.
The government in Gaza will be overseen by a new international transitional body, the “Board of Peace,” which will be chaired by Trump, and other members, including former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. This body will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until the Palestinian Authority complete a reform program to take back control.
Hamas members who commit to peace would receive amnesty, while others would be offered safe passage abroad. Security in Gaza will be overseen by regional and international forces, who would also help train Palestinian police, while aid would flow in at agreed levels. The US would facilitate further dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians to support long-term coexistence.
Riyad Mansour, head of the Palestine Mission to the United Nations, at a Security Council meeting, before Trump announced his plan, reiterated the Palestine Authority’s “readiness to work with President Trump and the US administration”.
“We reiterate Palestine’s readiness to work with President Trump and the US administration with Saudi Arabia and regional actors, with your European partners and the members of this distinguished Security Council, with the entire international community,” he added.
The war in Gaza began almost two years ago, when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Around 48 people are believed to remain in captivity, and about 20 are thought to be alive.
Pressure has been growing on Israel to end the war as more than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed and much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble.
(IANS)
