Exclusive: Trump says Gaza peace deal in "final stages"
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President Trump told Axios in an interview Sunday that negotiations over his plan to end the war in Gaza are "at their final stages" and contended a deal could open the way for wider peace in the Middle East.
Why it matters: This is the most significant effort to date to end the war.
- More than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry.
What he's saying: "Everybody has come together to get a deal, but we still have to get it done," Trump told Axios.
- "The Arab countries were fantastic to work with on this. Hamas is coming with them. They have great respect for the Arab world," Trump said. "The Arab world wants peace, Israel wants peace and Bibi wants peace."
- Trump said his plan aims at more than just ending the war in Gaza. He said the goal is to resume a wider push for peace in the region.
- "If we get this done, it will be a great day for Israel and for the Middle East. It will be the first chance for real peace in the Middle East. But we have to get it done first," Trump said.
Driving the news: White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday in New York in an effort to bridge the remaining gaps between the U.S. and Israel, a source familiar with the meeting said.
- Trump will meet Netanyahu at the White House on Monday. Trump told Axios that Netanyahu was on board with his plan. The Israeli government hasn't officially commented on it.
- Several Arab and Muslim countries have also been part of the process.
- Israel and Arab countries have all been trying to make amendments to the text in negotiations over the past five days, sources with knowledge of the talks say.
Zoom in: The two main differences between the U.S. and Israel at the moment are over a clause on disarming Hamas, which Israel wants to be more firm and binding, and over the role of the Palestinian Authority.
- Netanyahu has been adamantly opposed to any role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza, and reiterated in an interview with Fox News on Sunday that it's a "red line" for him.
- Netanyahu said negotiations over the plan are ongoing and the deal hasn't been finalized.
State of play: Trump presented his "21-point plan" to leaders and officials from the Arab and Muslim countries last week.
- The plan was drafted by Witkoff and Kushner. It's a combination of several proposals discussed over the last year by the U.S., Israel and other countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, France and the U.K.
- Some of those discussions started during the Biden administration, but didn't mature into an operational plan. Over the last few months, Kushner worked with Witkoff and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to advance the plan.
The other side: Hamas said in a statement Sunday that it has not received any new proposals from the Qatari and Egyptian mediators, and stressed negotiations have been suspended since the failed assassination attempt on its leaders in Doha three weeks ago.
- "Hamas reaffirms its readiness to study any proposals it receives from the mediators with full positivity and responsibility, in a manner that preserves the national rights of our people," the statement said.
- U.S. officials said Qatar and other Arab and Muslim countries have been in touch with Hamas in recent days to brief the group's leaders on the talks.
- The officials said the Arab countries told the U.S. they think Hamas will be ready to agree to the proposal.
The main principles of the deal are:
- The release of all remaining hostages within 48 hours of a ceasefire.
- A permanent ceasefire.
- Gradual Israeli withdrawal from all of the Gaza Strip.
- Israel's release of around 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences for killing Israelis, and around 2,000 Palestinians who have been detained in Gaza since October 7.
- A post-war plan that includes a governing mechanism in Gaza without Hamas. This will include an international and Arab board with a Palestinian Authority representative, and a technocratic government of unaffiliated Palestinians in Gaza.
- A security force that would include Palestinians, but also soldiers from Arab and Muslim countries.
- Funding from Arab and Muslim countries for the new administration in Gaza, and for reconstruction and development of the enclave.
- Some involvement of the Palestinian Authority in the new governing mechanism in Gaza.
- A process of disarming Hamas and demilitarizing Gaza, which includes destroying all remaining heavy weapons and tunnels.
- Amnesty for Hamas members who disavow violence and want to stay in Gaza, and safe passage out of the enclave for Hamas members who don't commit to non-violence.
- No annexation of the West Bank by Israel and no annexation or occupation of parts of Gaza.
- An Israeli commitment not to attack Qatar again in the future.
- A future credible path for "Palestinian statehood" after the Palestinian Authority undergoes significant reforms.
Go deeper: Trump says he won't let Netanyahu annex the West Bank
