'Everybody's pretty much agreed to it': Trump on Gaza plan ahead of talks

In a Truth Social post, Trump said there have been positive discussions with Hamas and other countries, including Arab and Muslim nations, on the Gaza peace plan

US President Donald Trump on Sunday (local time) said there is no need to modify the 20-point peace plan for Gaza, which he introduced on September 30, as all parties are on board.

 

Trump made these remarks while speaking to reporters before leaving the White House. When asked if there would be any changes to the plan, he said, “We have very little; we do not need flexibility because everybody’s pretty much agreed to it, but there will always be some changes. But the Hamas plan, I tell you, it’s amazing. You are going to have peace — peace in the Middle East for the first time in, they say, really 3,000 years. So, I am very honoured to be a big part of that. They have been fighting for a plan for years. We get the hostages back almost immediately. Negotiations are going on right now. It will probably take a couple of days, and people are very happy about it. It is a great deal for Israel, and it is a great deal for everybody. It is a great deal for the entire Arab world, the Muslim world.”

 

 

This comes a week after Trump, along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, unveiled a peace plan to end the war in Gaza. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that there have been “very positive discussions” with Hamas and other countries from around the world, including Arab and Muslim nations seeking the release of hostages and an end to the war.

 

He added, “These talks have been very successful and proceeding rapidly. The technical teams will again meet on Monday, in Egypt, to work through and clarify the final details. I am told that the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST. I will continue to monitor this centuries-old conflict.”

Trump presses Israel, Hamas to end conflict

 

According to a Bloomberg report, the US President is pushing both Israel and Hamas to end the settlement to the two-year conflict that has devastated Gaza and destabilised the Middle East, as the two sides are set to begin talks in Egypt on Monday (local time).

 

The first sign of whether the talks are serious will be if Hamas follows through on Trump’s demand to release all the remaining hostages, including those who died, in return for Israel releasing Palestinian prisoners.

 

US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner will take part in the negotiations, which will be held in Sharm el-Sheikh. Reports suggest that Trump has made it clear he is losing patience with both Israel and Hamas.

 

Trump spoke with Netanyahu over the weekend to celebrate Hamas’s apparent willingness to release the hostages; however, Netanyahu called the offer “meaningless.”  ALSO READ | Israel strikes Gaza as Palestinians pin hopes on Trump's peace plan

Trump seeks Nobel Peace Prize

 

Trump’s renewed push to end the war in Gaza comes at a significant time for the US President, who is seeking a Nobel Peace Prize. Last week, Trump said that if, even after ending seven conflicts, he did not win the peace prize, it would be “an insult to the US.” The next winner of the prize will be announced on October 10.

 

According to Bloomberg, Trump’s public and behind-the-scenes push to get the award has intensified in recent days as he seeks international support for the nomination. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir have reportedly nominated Trump for the peace prize and thanked him for his efforts in easing tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi.

Trump’s Gaza peace plan

 

The 20-point peace plan aims to end the war and establish a temporary governance board in Palestine — a “Board of Peace” — to be headed by Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

 

According to an Associated Press report, civilians would not be required to leave Gaza. The plan also calls for Hamas to release all hostages within 72 hours once the deal is accepted.

 

It also proposes that, once all hostages are safely released, Hamas members who agree to lay down arms and embrace peaceful co-existence will be offered amnesty. Those choosing to depart from Gaza will be allowed safe passage to countries willing to receive them.  ALSO READ | We're dealing with killers, savages, terrorists: US secy of State on Hamas

Israel–Gaza war background

 

Iran-backed Hamas triggered the war in Israel on October 7, 2023, killing nearly 1,200 people and abducting another 250. Of those 250, 48 continue to be held in Gaza, while Israel believes around 20 hostages are alive. Since the conflict began, Israel has lost 450 soldiers.

 

Gaza, meanwhile, has lost nearly 66,000 civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the territory.