Trump Unveils 20-Point Gaza Peace Plan: Netanyahu Agrees While Hamas Decision Remains Pending

US President Donald Trump today expressed gratitude to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for accepting his 20-point plan for Gaza. Trump subsequently warned Hamas that Israel would have the "full backing" of the United States to eliminate the militant group should they reject the deal.

"Israel would have my full backing to finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas but I hope that we're going to have a deal for peace and if Hamas rejects the deal, which is always possible, they're the only one left. Everyone else has accepted it but I have a feeling that we're going to have a positive answer," Trump stated while appearing alongside Netanyahu at the White House.

The US President indicated that Washington was "very close" to achieving peace in the Gaza conflict, following his meeting with Netanyahu and the release of a 20-point peace plan.

"Things that have been going on for hundreds of years and thousands of years we're going to, at least we're at a minimum very, very close and I think we're beyond very close and I want to thank Bibi for really getting in there and doing a job," he told reporters, using Netanyahu's nickname.

According to the 20-point plan, upon agreement by both parties, "the war will immediately end" with Israeli withdrawals coordinated with the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas. A ceasefire would be implemented during this initial phase.

Key elements include deploying a "temporary international stabilization force" and establishing a transitional authority led by Trump.

The agreement would require Hamas militants to completely disarm and exclude them from future governmental roles. However, those who committed to "peaceful co-existence" would receive amnesty.

After Israeli withdrawal, borders would open for aid and investment.

In a significant shift from Trump's earlier apparent intentions, Palestinians would not be forced to leave. Instead, the document stated, "we will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza."

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

Netanyahu has recently shown little optimism, vowing in a defiant UN speech on Friday to "finish the job" against Hamas and rejecting Palestinian statehood – which has been recently recognized by several Western nations.

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

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 – a move that would seriously complicate the path to Palestinian statehood.

Netanyahu's coalition government relies on support from far-right ministers who oppose a peace deal.

Meanwhile, Israeli strikes continued throughout the Gaza Strip, killing at least four people in Khan Yunis, according to the Hamas-run territory's civil defense agency.

Families of Israeli hostages held 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 distrust before 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."

The outcome may depend on how firmly Trump presses Netanyahu, according to Natan Sachs, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute.

"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 following Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack that killed 1,219 people, predominantly civilians, according to an AFP tally from Israeli official figures.

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