Addressing a press conference, Trump said this was a “big, big day”.

“Things that have been going on for hundreds of years, thousands of years … at minimum, we are very, very close and beyond very close,” Trump said, thanking Netanyahu for his role in the peace process. “We worked well together, and have with many other countries, which is how this situation gets solved.”

Trump said that he was aiming for peace in the Middle East at large, not just the Gaza Strip. He added that he and Netanyahu discussed issues like Iran, the Abraham Accords and ending the Gaza conflict.

“This is part of the bigger picture, which is peace in the Middle East … let’s call it ‘eternal’ peace in the Middle East,” he said.

“After extensive consultation with our friends and partners throughout the region, I am formally releasing our principles for peace,” Trump announced, adding that people “have really liked” them.

“These are done with total consideration and working with the nations we are talking about,” he added. “I want to thank the leaders of many Arab and Muslim nations for their tremendous support in developing the proposal, as well as our allies in Europe.

“The prime minister and the field marshal of Pakistan they were with us right from the beginning. In fact they just put out a statement that they fully believe in this pact,” Trump stated. “They back this 100 per cent.”

The US president also thanked Netanyahu for agreeing to the plan and for “trusting that if we work together, we can bring an end to the death and destruction” in the region.

“If accepted by Hamas, this proposal calls for the release of all remaining hostages immediately, but in no case, more than 72 hours,” Trump said. “The hostages are coming back.”

Trump said this means “an immediate end to the war itself”.

“Under the plan, Arab and Muslim countries have committed … to demilitarise Gaza quickly, decommission the military capabilities of Hamas and all other terror organisations and we are relying on the countries we named and others to deal with Hamas and I’m hearing Hamas wants to get this done too.”

Trump added that as part of the agreement, “terror infrastructure”, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, would be dismantled and local police forces would be trained in the Gaza Strip.

“Working with the new transitional authority in Gaza, all parties will agree on a timeline for Israeli forces to withdraw in phases … no more shooting hopefully,” Trump stated.

“Arab and Muslim nations need to be allowed a chance of fulfilling these commitments of dealing with Hamas. They are the one group I have not dealt with,” he added. “If Hamas rejects the deal, which is always possible … I have a feeling that we’re going to have a positive answer, but if not, as you know Bibi (Netanyahu) you have my full backing to do what you have to do.

The US president emphasised that ultimately, the goal is to eliminate any danger in the reason, which he attributed to Hamas.

“To ensure the success of this effort, my plan calls for the creation of a new international oversight body,” he said, calling it the ‘Board of Peace’ and stating that it would be led by Arab leaders, Israel and Trump himself.

“We’re going to do it right, we’re going to put leaders from other countries on and leaders who are very distinguished,” Trump said. “One of the people who wants to be on the Board is the UK former prime minister Tony Blair.”

Trump said there would be more leaders and that their names would be announced in the coming days.

He added that the World Bank would be charged with training and recruiting a new government made up of Palestinians and “highly qualified experts from around the world”.

“Hamas and other terror organisations will play no role in the governance of Gaza, at all,” he stated.

Earlier, Netanyahu expressed regret for an Israeli attack in Doha to Qatar’s leader in a three-way call with Trump, the White House said.

It added that Netanyahu also expressed regret for Israel violating Qatari sovereignty and “affirmed that Israel will not conduct such an attack again in the future“.

“The leaders discussed a proposal for ending the war in Gaza, prospects for a more secure Middle East, and the need for greater understanding between their countries,” the White House said before a news conference with Trump and the Israeli prime minister.

Ahead of formal consultations, Trump had told his guests: “We have to get the hostages back … This is the group that can do it, more than any other group in the world … so it’s an honour to be with you.”

Trump had also emphasised the urgency of ending the conflict: “We had 32 meetings here, this is the one that’s very important because we’re gonna end something that should’ve probably never started.”

According to reports from Israel’s Channel 12 and US-based Axios, President Trump’s plan envisions an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages, both alive and deceased; phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza Governance excluding Hamas but incorporating the Palestinian Authority; deployment of Arab and Muslim peacekeepers to secure Gaza and facilitate Israel’s withdrawal; and internationally supported reconstruction and transition programmes funded by regional contributors.

These details were reportedly shared with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though Israel did not draft the plan.

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a TV interview that Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas are “very close” to reaching an agreement on a framework deal to end Israel’s bombardment in Gaza and ensure lasting peace in the Middle East.

Leavitt, speaking on Fox News’ ‘Fox and Friends’ programme, said Trump would discuss a 21-point peace plan with Netanyahu at the White House later today.

“Trump will speak to leaders in Qatar, who have served as intermediaries with Hamas,” she said.

“To reach a reasonable deal for both sides, both sides have to give up a little bit and might leave the table a little bit unhappy, but that is ultimately how we are going to end this conflict,” Leavitt added.

PM Shehbaz welcomes Gaza plan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed US President Donald Trump’s plan to bring the Israeli invasion of Gaza to an end.

His statement came in a post on X as the US president greeted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House for talks on the US-led peace plan. Before the meeting, Trump had told reporters he was “very confident” that there would be peace in Gaza.

Asked if all parties were on board with his 21-point plan, he repeated, “very confident”.

Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz posted on X: “I welcome President Trump’s 20-point [sic] plan to ensure an end to the war in Gaza.

“I am also convinced that durable peace between the Palestinian people and Israel would be essential in bringing political stability and economic growth to the region,” the PM wrote.

He added, “It is also my firm belief that President Trump is fully prepared to assist in whatever way necessary to make this extremely important and urgent understanding to become a reality.”

PM Shehbaz also lauded “Trump’s leadership and [his] special envoy Steve Witkoff for their efforts in bringing an end to the nearly two-year-long conflict”.

“I also strongly believe that the implementation of the two-state proposal is essential to ensure lasting peace in the region,” he added.

Earlier in the day, he also spoke to Pakistani journalists in London, where he spoke about Trump’s meeting with Muslims leaders on Gaza in New York last week.

The meeting on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly had brought together leaders from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Turkiye, and Indonesia.

During his interaction with journalists in London today, PM Shehbaz “a very constructive discussion took place” at the meeting. He added, “As a result of that meeting, very soon, a positive result may come that in the Gaza war, there may be a ceasefire.”

In less than two years, Israel’s onslaught on Gaza has killed at least 65,549 people and wounded 167,518, besides displacing millions from their areas. Earlier this month, UN investigators said that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza in a bid to “destroy the Palestinians”, accusing Israel’s prime minister and other top officials of incitement.

Netanyahu called al Thani to extend the apology during his White House meeting on Monday with President Donald Trump. The people familiar spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.

President Donald Trump was hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday for critical talks aimed at ending the war in Gaza and developing a US plan on post-war governance in the war-battered Palestinian territory.

The White House talks between Netanyahu and Trump come at a tenuous moment. Israel is increasingly isolated, losing support from many countries that were long its steadfast allies. At home, Netanyahu’s governing coalition appears more fragile than ever. And the White House is showing signs of impatience.

The question now is whether Trump, who has offered steadfast backing to Netanyahu throughout the war, will change his tone and turn up the pressure on Israel to wind down the conflict.

As he welcomed Netanyahu to the White House, Trump responded affirmatively when asked by reporters whether he was confident a deal would be soon reached to end the fighting between Israel and Hamas.

“I am. I’m very confident,” Trump said.

White House urges Israel and Hamas to get to a ceasefire and hostage release deal

Earlier, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt urged both sides to finalize an agreement to bring an end to the nearly two-year old war in Gaza.

“Ultimately the president knows when you get to a good deal, both sides are going to leave a little bit unhappy,” Leavitt told reporters. “But we need this conflict to end.”

Trump and Netanyahu are first holding talks with aides in the Oval Office and over a private lunch. A joint press conference is expected later.

Meanwhile, Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, said Palestinian officials stood ready to work with Trump and Arab countries in bringing an end to the war.

“Let us not delay a single minute more in doing what is necessary for this just peace to replace the unbearable reality of today,” Mansour said during a Security Council meeting on the Middle East.

Trump growing more frustrated with conflict

Trump joined forces with Netanyahu during Israel’s brief war with Iran in June, ordering US stealth bombers to strike three nuclear sites, and he’s supported the Israeli leader during his corruption trial, describing the case as a “witch hunt.”

But the relationship has become more tense lately. Trump was frustrated by Israel’s failed strike this month on Hamas officials in Qatar, a US ally in the region that had been hosting negotiations to end the war in Gaza.

Last week, Trump vowed to prevent Israel from annexing the West Bank — an idea promoted by some of Netanyahu’s hard-line governing partners. The international community opposes annexation, saying it would destroy hopes for a two-state solution.

On Friday, Trump raised expectations for the meeting with Netanyahu, telling reporters the US was “very close to a deal on Gaza.”

Trump made finding quick ends to the Gaza war, as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a central plank of his successful 2024 presidential campaign. He’s struggled mightily on both fronts.

Proposal does not include expulsion of Palestinians

Trump’s proposal to stop the war in Gaza calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages within 48 hours and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian enclave, according to three Arab officials briefed on the plan. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plan has not been formally unveiled.

Hamas is believed to be holding 48 hostages, 20 of whom are believed by Israel to be alive. The militant group has demanded Israel agree to end the war and withdraw from all of Gaza as part of any permanent ceasefire.

Trump discussed the plan with Arab and Islamic leaders in New York last week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. It doesn’t include the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza, which Trump appeared to endorse earlier this year.

The 21-point proposal also calls for an end to Hamas rule of Gaza and the disarmament of the militant group, said the officials briefed on the plan. Hundreds of Palestinians, including many serving life sentences, will be released by Israel, according to the proposal.

The plan also includes the establishment of an international security force to take over law enforcement in postwar Gaza, they said.

A Palestinian committee of technocrats would oversee the civilian affairs of the strip, with power handed over later to a reformed Palestinian Authority, they said. Netanyahu has rejected any role for the authority, the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinians, in postwar Gaza.

A Hamas official said the group was briefed on the plan but has yet to receive an official offer from Egyptian and Qatari mediators. The group has repeatedly rejected laying down arms and has linked its weapons to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

 Israel has lost much of the world’s goodwill

Apart from the US leadership, Israel has lost much of the international goodwill it once could count on.

At a special session of the UN Security Council last week, nation after nation expressed horror at the 2023 attack by Hamas militants that killed about 1,200 people in Israel, saw 251 taken hostage and triggered the war. Then many of the representatives went on to criticize the response by Israel and call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and influx of aid.

Israel’s sweeping offensive has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run administration. Its figures are seen as a reliable estimate by the UN and many independent experts. The fighting has displaced 90% of the Gaza population, with an increasing number now starving.

In recent weeks, 28 Western-aligned countries that circled behind Israel two years ago have called on it to end the offensive in Gaza. They also criticized Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian aid, which have contributed to famine in parts of Gaza.

Ten countries — including Britain, France, Canada and Australia — recognized Palestinian statehood last week, hoping to revive the long-moribund peace process. Several Arab states, including some with longstanding relations with Israel, have accused it of committing genocide in Gaza, as have leading genocide scholars, U.N. experts and some Israeli and international rights groups. The UN’s highest court is weighing genocide allegations raised by South Africa that Israel vehemently denies

United States President Donald Trump said on Monday that he is “very confident” that he will strike a Gaza ceasefire deal with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is visiting the White House.

The pair are expected to address a joint press conference shortly.

Netanyahu also apologised to his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani for an Israeli airstrike in Doha during a telephone call from the White House on Monday, a source close to Netanyahu told Reuters.

A Qatari technical team is also at the White House, according to a separate source briefed on the talks. Meanwhile, a diplomat, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said Netanyahu voiced regret for the violation of Qatari sovereignty and the death of a Qatari security guard.

Ahead of formal consultations, Trump had told his guests: “We have to get the hostages back … This is the group that can do it, more than any other group in the world … so it’s an honour to be with you.”

Trump had also emphasised the urgency of ending the conflict: “We had 32 meetings here, this is the one that’s very important because we’re gonna end something that should’ve probably never started.”

According to reports from Israel’s Channel 12 and US-based Axios, President Trump’s plan envisions an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages, both alive and deceased; phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza Governance excluding Hamas but incorporating the Palestinian Authority; deployment of Arab and Muslim peacekeepers to secure Gaza and facilitate Israel’s withdrawal; and internationally supported reconstruction and transition programmes funded by regional contributors.

These details were reportedly shared with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though Israel did not draft the plan, a Dawn report said.

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a TV interview that Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas are “very close” to reaching an agreement on a framework deal to end Israel’s bombardment in Gaza and ensure lasting peace in the Middle East.

Leavitt, speaking on Fox News’ ‘Fox and Friends’ programme, said Trump would discuss a 21-point peace plan with Netanyahu at the White House later today.

“Trump will speak to leaders in Qatar, who have served as intermediaries with Hamas,” she said.

“To reach a reasonable deal for both sides, both sides have to give up a little bit and might leave the table a little bit unhappy, but that is ultimately how we are going to end this conflict,” Leavitt added.

PM Shehbaz welcomes Gaza plan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed US President Donald Trump’s plan to bring the Israeli invasion of Gaza to an end.

His statement came in a post on X as the US president greeted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House for talks on the US-led peace plan. Before the meeting, Trump had told reporters he was “very confident” that there would be peace in Gaza.

Asked if all parties were on board with his 21-point plan, he repeated, “very confident”.

Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz posted on X: “I welcome President Trump’s 20-point [sic] plan to ensure an end to the war in Gaza.

“I am also convinced that durable peace between the Palestinian people and Israel would be essential in bringing political stability and economic growth to the region,” the PM wrote.

He added, “It is also my firm belief that President Trump is fully prepared to assist in whatever way necessary to make this extremely important and urgent understanding to become a reality.”

PM Shehbaz also lauded “Trump’s leadership and [his] special envoy Steve Witkoff for their efforts in bringing an end to the nearly two-year-long conflict”.

“I also strongly believe that the implementation of the two-state proposal is essential to ensure lasting peace in the region,” he added.

Earlier in the day, he also spoke to Pakistani journalists in London, where he spoke about Trump’s meeting with Muslims leaders on Gaza in New York last week.

The meeting on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly had brought together leaders from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Turkiye, and Indonesia.

During his interaction with journalists in London today, PM Shehbaz “a very constructive discussion took place” at the meeting. He added, “As a result of that meeting, very soon, a positive result may come that in the Gaza war, there may be a ceasefire.”

In less than two years, Israel’s onslaught on Gaza has killed at least 65,549 people and wounded 167,518, besides displacing millions from their areas. Earlier this month, UN investigators said that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza in a bid to “destroy the Palestinians”, accusing Israel’s prime minister and other top officials of incitement.