U.S. President Donald Trump said he has agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a plan to end the war between Israel and the Hamas group, Bloomberg reports. Netanyahu reiterated his support for a plan "that will achieve Israel's military objectives," Reuters reports.

Trump and Netanyahu met at the White House for talks on Sept. 29. At a joint press conference, the U.S. president said his proposal was also supported by leaders of other Middle Eastern and Muslim-majority countries.

The next step will be to negotiate a plan with Hamas, Trump said. "If Hamas rejects the deal," he said, Netanyahu "will have his full support" in dismantling the group. Hamas said before Trump and Netanyahu met that it was not yet familiar with the plan and would have to study it.

The U.S. plan, which was released by the White House, consists of 20 points. It calls for an immediate end to the war provoked by the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the return of all hostages and the remains of the dead within 72 hours. Israel would have to release nearly 2,000 prisoners and renounce the occupation or annexation of Gaza.

Hamas, in turn, must agree to play no direct or indirect role in the governance of Gaza, ceding control of the territory to an "apolitical Palestinian committee" that would maintain public services. The body would be overseen by a "Peace Council" chaired by Trump and attended by other world leaders, including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The document also calls for an economic plan to rebuild and develop Gaza "with experts involved in creating the Middle East's thriving modern cities," the White House said.

On the news of Israel's agreement to the proposed U.S. plan, the Israeli shekel strengthened against the dollar, reaching a daily high, Bloomberg reports.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor

Share