Trump "Very Confident" on Gaza Peace Deal During Netanyahu White House Meeting

The White House confirmed that President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu are scheduled for a joint news conference at 1:15 pm.

United States:

President Donald Trump expressed optimism about reaching a Gaza peace agreement on Monday while hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House to encourage his acceptance of the proposed peace plan.

"I am, I'm very confident," Trump stated to reporters as he welcomed Netanyahu when questioned about the prospects of peace in Gaza.

When asked if all parties had agreed to the 21-point plan designed to end the nearly two-year conflict, free Hamas-held hostages, and disarm Palestinian militants, Trump reiterated he was "very confident."

The US president engaged with key Arab leaders at the United Nations last week and declared Sunday on social media that "ALL ARE ON BOARD FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL, FIRST TIME EVER."

However, Netanyahu has provided little cause for optimism, pledging in a resolute UN address Friday to "finish the job" against Hamas and rejecting Palestinian statehood—which several Western nations have recently recognized.

The scheduled joint news conference at 1:15 pm (1715 GMT) suggests Trump hopes to announce a breakthrough in negotiations.

"To reach a good deal, a reasonable deal for both sides, both sides have to give up a little bit and might leave the table a little bit unhappy," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Monday.

Hamas has not yet responded to the proposed plan.

According to The Times of Israel and US news site Axios, Trump's plan calls for an immediate ceasefire, phased Israeli withdrawal, and hostage release within 48 hours.

Israel would subsequently free over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, including several serving life sentences.

Typically a strong Netanyahu ally, the US president has displayed increasing frustration ahead of the Israeli leader's fourth White House visit since Trump's return to office.

Trump was angered by Israel's recent strike against Hamas members in Qatar, a key US ally.

He also cautioned Netanyahu last week against annexing the Israeli-occupied West Bank—as some cabinet members have advocated—an action that would significantly complicate Palestinian statehood prospects.

Netanyahu's coalition government depends on far-right ministers who oppose any peace agreement.

Numerous obstacles remain on the path to a deal.

Israel and Arab states continue to dispute the wording of key elements in the peace plan, including the role of any international force and the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority in post-war Gaza.

"The likelihood of... a reformed Palestinian Authority that changes completely its stripes, that accepts a Jewish state... well, good luck," Netanyahu remarked to Fox News in a Sunday interview.

Israeli strikes persisted across the Gaza Strip, with at least four people killed in Khan Yunis, according to the Hamas-run territory's civil defense agency.

Families of Israeli hostages in Gaza urged Trump to maintain his Gaza proposal.

"We respectfully ask you to stand firm against any attempts to sabotage the deal you have brought forth," the Hostages and Missing Families Forum stated in an open letter to Trump.

In Gaza, residents expressed mixed feelings of hope, exhaustion, and skepticism ahead of the White House meeting.

"I don't expect anything from Trump, because Trump supports Netanyahu in destroying the Gaza Strip and displacing people to carry out the Riviera project," said Mohammed Abu Rabee, 34, referring to Trump's earlier suggestion to transform the Palestinian territory into the "Riviera of the Middle East."

According to Natan Sachs, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, the outcome may depend on how much pressure Trump applies to Netanyahu.

"Netanyahu has a clear preference for continuing the war and defeating Hamas, but I don't think it's impossible for Trump to convince him otherwise," Sachs told AFP.

The Gaza war began with Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack that killed 1,219 people, predominantly civilians, based on an AFP tally from Israeli official figures.

Israel's military response has resulted in 66,055 Palestinian deaths, also mostly civilians, according to health ministry figures from the Hamas-administered territory, which the United Nations considers reliable.