Trump says he is waiting for Hamas to accept peace proposals

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he and his team were waiting on Hamas militants to accept the Gaza peace plan that he outlined on Monday.

Trump told reporters as he departed the White House that Israeli and Arab leaders had accepted the plan and "we're just waiting for Hamas".

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he had the backing of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a wide-ranging Gaza peace plan that would bring an immediate ceasefire.

The plan, which Trump has circulated to Arab leaders, was released after Trump met Netanyahu in Washington, AFP reported.

Trump told a joint press conference with Netanyahu at the White House that the Israeli prime minister had agreed to the plan, which calls for an immediate ceasefire, followed by disarmament of Hamas and Israeli withdrawal.

"I also want to thank Prime Minister [Benjamin] 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," Trump said at a press conference with Netanyahu.

"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."

'I support your plan': Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he supported US President Donald Trump's 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza.

"I support your plan to end the war in Gaza which achieves our war aims. It will bring back to Israel all our hostages, dismantle Hamas's military capabilities, end its political rule and ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel," said Netanyahu, speaking at the press conference. 

In a biblical reference, Netanyahu also said whoever fights Israel will be cursed. He said, "It’s also in the Bible. It says, Those who will bless you will be blessed, and those who will curse you will be cursed. And that’s actually what is happening. We want the blessings. I think we’ve done a lot in the past two years to end the curse. We’re not finished, but we’ve done a lot, and we’ve done a lot together to end the curse."

However, according to a video posted on his Telegram channel late last night, Netanyahu said that he did not agree to a Palestinian state during his talks with Trump.

"Not at all, and it is not written in the agreement. One thing was made clear: We will strongly oppose a Palestinian state," Netanyahu said.

"We will recover all our hostages, alive and well, while the (Israeli military) will remain in most of the Gaza Strip," he added.

'We regretted the loss'

Regarding the Israeli attack on Doha, he said that he told the Prime Minister of Qatar, "Israel was targeting terrorists. It wasn’t targeting Qatar. And of course, we regretted the loss of the Qatari citizen. He wasn’t our target." 

At the end of the news conference, when Trump asked Netanyahu if he would like "to take a question or two from perhaps a friendly Israeli reporter, if there’s such a thing?" the Israeli premier said, "Let’s settle the issue first, I think."

Dealing with Hamas

President Trump said, "Arab and Muslim nations need to be allowed the chance to fulfill their commitments of dealing with Hamas. They have to deal with them because they are the one group we have not dealt with—I have not dealt with them. But the Arab countries are going to be dealing with Hamas. I believe they have already been there. I think they probably have an understanding. I imagine they do; otherwise, they wouldn’t have gone as far as they have gone."

"If they are unable to do so, then Israel would have the absolute right—and our full backing (US full backing). A lot of the leaders are here: our vice president, Susie Wallis, Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner—they have been so involved in this process. I don’t think anyone else could have done it, or even come close. We’re right there—the first time in thousands of years, you can probably say Israel would have my full backing to destroy the threat of Hamas," he added.

'We will study it': Hamas official 

Hamas has yet to give its approval, but Trump said he was hopeful the group was in favor.

A senior Hamas official told AFP on Monday that the Palestinian group had not yet received US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan.

"We have not received Trump's proposal. We will study it and respond once we receive it," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss the matter publicly.

But an official briefed on the matter later told AFP that Qatari and Egyptian mediators had met with Hamas to provide them with the document.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egypt's intelligence chief Hassan Mahmoud Rashad "just met with Hamas negotiators and shared the 20-point plan. The Hamas negotiators said they would review it in good faith and provide a response," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Later in the day, a Palestinian source close to Hamas told AFP that the group is reviewing Trump's proposal.

"Hamas has begun a series of consultations within its political and military leaderships, both inside Palestine and abroad," the source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said.

"The discussions could take several days due to the complexities of communication among leadership members and movements, especially after the Israeli aggression in Doha," the source added. 

Another Palestinian source also confirmed that Hamas was examining Trump's plan.

Board of Peace

Earlier, speaking at the press conference, US President Trump announced, "My plan calls for the creation of a new international oversight body, the Board of Peace we call it, which will be headed — not at my request, but by the leaders of the Arab world, Israel, and everybody involved who asked me to do it. So, it would be headed by a gentleman known as Donald J. Trump of the United States. Some extra work to do, but it’s so important I am willing to do it, and I am going to do it right."

"We will do it right, and we will put leaders from other countries on it. Leaders that are very distinguished will be on the board. One of the people who wants to be on the board is the UK former PM Tony Blair, a good man, and some others. They will be named in the next few days. Everyone wants to be on it except me," he added.

‘Beyond very close’

The US president said, "this is a big, big day, a beautiful day, potentially one of the great days ever in civilization."

Trump said approval from all sides was "beyond very close."

The US president said all parties will agree on a timeline for Israeli forces to withdraw in phases. 

"They’ll be withdrawing in phases. No more shooting, hopefully, as progress is made toward achieving these goals," he added.

The 20-point plan states that on agreement by both sides, "the war will immediately end" with Israeli withdrawals timed to the release of the last hostages held by Hamas. 

During that initial period, there would be a ceasefire.

Key points include the deployment of a "temporary international stabilization force" and the creation of a transitional authority headed by Trump.

The deal would demand that Hamas fully disarm and be excluded from future roles in the government. However, those who agreed to "peaceful co-existence" would be given amnesty.

Following the Israeli withdrawal, the borders would be opened to aid and investment.

In a crucial change from Trump's earlier apparent goals, Palestinians will not be forced to leave and instead, the document said, "we will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza", AFP reported.

Broad regional support

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

"This afternoon, after extensive consultation with our friends and partners throughout the region, I’m formally releasing our Principles for Peace, which people have really liked, I must say," the US president said at the news conference.

“The level of support I have had from the nations in the Middle East and surrounding Israel has been incredible,” Trump said, praising all parties involved in the talks, including the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Indonesia and Pakistan, among others. 

“The Prime Minister (Shehbaz Sharif) and the Field Marshal (Syed Asim Munir) Pakistan, they were with us right from the beginning, incredible, in fact. They just put out a statement that they fully believe in this pact. This came out as I was walking around… I just had a big notice from the PM of Pakistan and from the Field Marshal that they back this 100%,” Trump said.   

Normally a staunch ally of Netanyahu, the US president has shown increasing signs of frustration ahead of the Israeli premier's fourth White House visit since Trump's return to power.

Trump was infuriated by Israel's recent strike on Hamas members in key US ally Qatar.

And he warned Netanyahu last week against annexing the Israeli-occupied West Bank, as some of Netanyahu's cabinet members have urged, a move that would seriously complicate the route to Palestinian statehood.

Netanyahu's coalition government is propped up by the far-right ministers who oppose a peace deal.

Palestinian Authority welcomes effort

The Palestinian Authority on Monday welcomed US President Donald Trump's "sincere and determined efforts," following his announcement of a plan to end the war in Gaza, AFP reported.

It said in a statement that it "welcomes the sincere and determined efforts of President Donald J Trump to end the war on Gaza, and affirms its confidence in his ability to find a path toward peace".

Voices from Gaza 

Meanwhile, Israeli strikes continued across 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 uphold 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 said in an open letter to Trump.

In Gaza, people expressed a mix of hope, exhaustion and distrust 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 proposal to turn the Palestinian territory into the "Riviera of the Middle East."

Israel's war has killed 66,055 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to Gaza’s health ministry figures that the United Nations considers reliable, AFP reported.