Trump to present Arab leaders with U.S. principles for ending Gaza war
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
An Israeli airstrike in Gaza City last week. Photo: Abdalhkem Abu Riash/Anadolu via Getty Images
President Trump will present a group of Arab and Muslim leaders on Tuesday with principles for peace and post-war governance in Gaza, according to two U.S. officials and two Arab officials.
Why it matters: This will be the most concrete proposal to date from Trump for ending the war.
- Leaders and senior officials from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan will participate in the meeting.
Zoom in: In addition to freeing the hostages and ending the war, Trump is expected to discuss principles around an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza post-war governance in Gaza, without Hamas involvement.
- The U.S. also wants Arab and Muslim countries to agree to send military forces to Gaza to enable Israel's withdrawal and to secure Arab and Muslim funding for the transition period and for rebuilding the enclave.
- Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto said Monday that his country was prepared to send soldiers for a peacekeeping force in Gaza.
Driving the news: Negotiations on a deal to end the war in Gaza and free the hostages are at an impasse.
- Meanwhile, Israel is pushing forward with three armored and infantry divisions to occupy Gaza City.
- And at UN headquarters in New York, a conference in support of a two-state solution ended with France and several other European countries recognizing a Palestinian state.
- More than 65,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed by Israel in Gaza since Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, according to Gaza's Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health.
What they're saying: "Tomorrow's meeting could be fairly significant. We have a pretty good idea of the contours for ending the war. We want to present what we think is the only viable path forward and we want regional buy-in and support to make it successful," a U.S. official said.
- "Our understanding is that Trump wants to get our feedback and support for the U.S. plan to end the war and then push it forward," one Arab official said.
Between the lines: The Arab and U.S. officials insisted this would be a U.S. plan, not merely an Israeli plan presented by the Trump administration.
- An Israeli official said Prime Minister Netanyahu is aware of the plan's outlines, but also knows there will be parts the Israeli government won't like — especially regarding the Palestinian Authority's future involvement in Gaza.
- "There will be bitter pills we'll have to swallow," said the Israeli official.
What to watch: It's unclear whether Trump will also discuss the Gaza proposals in his speech to the UN General Assembly, which will take place several hours before the meeting.
What's next: Next Monday, Netanyahu will arrive at the White House for his fourth meeting with Trump since January. Gaza will be top of the agenda.
