The scramble to shape Trump's Gaza plan is just beginning
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Netanyahu and Trump at the White House. Photo: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Gaza peace plan President Trump presented on Monday contained significant changes requested by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, infuriating Arab officials involved in the negotiations, sources familiar with the process tell Axios.
Why it matters: Trump presented the situation as straightforward: Israel, the U.S. and its Arab partners were all aligned on a final plan, and Hamas had to agree or face annihilation. While the behind the scenes reality was murkier — and the negotiations could just be beginning — the choice for Hamas remains stark.
Split screen: While Trump and Netanyahu were discussing the plan on camera at the White House, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was presenting it to Hamas leaders in Doha, a source with knowledge said.
- Netanyahu had called Al Thani from the White House hours earlier to apologize for Israel's recent airstrike in Doha, which was Qatar's condition for resuming its mediation with Hamas.
- The source said Hamas leaders told Al Thani they will study the proposal in good faith.
- U.S. officials say they hope to get Hamas' response before the end of the week, though Trump didn't present a firm deadline.
The intrigue: The deal now before Hamas is significantly different than the one the U.S. and a group of Arab and Muslim countries had previously agreed on, due to Netanyahu's intervention.
Behind the scenes: On Sunday, White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner met for six hours with Netanyahu and his confidant Ron Dermer.
- Netanyahu managed to negotiate several edits into the text, in particular on the conditions and timetable for Israel's withdrawal from Gaza.
- The new proposal ties Israel's withdrawal to the progress of disarming Hamas, and gives Israel a veto over the process.
- Even if all conditions are met and three phases of withdrawal are completed, Israeli forces will still remain within a security perimeter inside Gaza "until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat." That could mean indefinitely.
Behind the scenes: Officials from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Turkey were furious over the changes, according to sources with knowledge.
- The Qataris even tried to convince the Trump administration not to release the detailed plan on Monday due to those objections. The White House released it anyways, and pushed the Arab and Muslim countries to support the plan.
- Eight countries issued a a joint statement welcoming Trump's announcement without expressing full support for it. The Qataris told the other countries that after that generally positive statement, they would have further discussions with the U.S. over the details, one source said.
- Witkoff told Fox News on Monday that the Trump plan has widespread backing in the Middle East and Europe. "We have a lot of buy-in. Do we have some details to work out? Yes. But, you know President Trump... everyone is going to be pushed by him," he said.
The flipside: A senior Arab official involved in the negotiations said that while Netanyahu managed to change the text, it still has a lot of very positive elements for the Palestinians, in addition to finally stopping the killing.
- Trump's plan takes the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza off the table, along with any permanent Israeli occupation of the enclave. It also rules out Israeli annexation of the occupied West Bank.
- It promises a surge in humanitarian aid to Gaza.
- It includes support by the Trump administration for a "credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood" and commits the U.S. to resume peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
What they're saying: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed Trump's "efforts to end the war" and expressed "confidence in his ability to find a path toward peace."
- That's a notably positive statement, considering the Palestinian Authority outright rejected Trump's peace plan during his first term.
State of play: Trump's plan says that "within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned."
- It's unclear whether Netanyahu's acceptance of the plan on Monday afternoon started the clock.
- Even if Hamas responds positively, getting to a final agreement will likely take much longer than three days.
What to watch: U.S. and Israeli officials say they hope the Arab and Muslim countries will press Hamas to accept. Some claimed there'd been recent indications that some Hamas leaders were prepared to move forward.
- The plan Trump laid out also includes a contingency in case Hamas says no: "In the event Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, the above, including the scaled-up aid operation, will proceed in the terror-free areas handed over" by Israel to an interim security force.
- Trump was more direct: "If Hamas rejects the deal, Bibi, you will have our full backing to do what you have to do."
