Trump to push new peace plan in talks with Netanyahu

It will be Netanyahu's fourth visit to the White House since Trump returned to office in January (file photo)

US President Donald Trump will push Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept the framework of a new peace plan to end the Israel-Gaza war during White House discussions on Monday.

Trump has talked up prospects of reaching a agreement, telling journalists on Friday: "I think we have a deal."

But Netanyahu said on Sunday "it's not been finalised yet", while Hamas said they had not been formally sent the proposal.

According to leaked copies of the plan published by US and Israeli media, it stipulates the release of all hostages within 48 hours of the deal being confirmed. Once they are returned, Israel will free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences.

Hamas will have no future role in Gaza - and members who commit to peace will be offered amnesty and safe passage out of the territory. All Hamas military structures will be destroyed.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will gradually withdraw from the Strip and Gaza will be governed by an interim transitional government.

The plan appears to constitute a significant shift of position by the Trump administration, which has previously advocated relocating Gaza's entire population of 2.1million and redeveloping Gaza into a US-owned "riviera".

The latest proposal encourages Palestinians to remain in Gaza.

It also acknowledges Palestinian aspirations for a future state, and includes a future role in the territory for the Palestinian Authority (PA) once it has undertaken reforms.

These are previous red lines for Netanyahu and acceptance would be seen by many as a major climbdown. He has repeatedly vowed not to allow a Palestinian state and labelled the PA "corrupt to its core".

Even if the Israeli PM is persuaded by Trump, he may struggle to convince the more hardline elements of his governing coalition to accept. Ultranationalists within that coalition hope to retain control of Gaza and rebuild Jewish settlements there.

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote on Monday that his party would not allow a plan that made any mention of a Palestinian state, or that involved a role for the PA.

Dozens of delegates walked-out in protest as Netanyahu gave a combative speech at the UN General Assembly last week

Ultranationalist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said over the weekend that Netanyahu had "no mandate" to end the war without "a decisive defeat of Hamas".

Opposition leader Yair Lapid said that he supported reaching an agreement, and had told US officials that he would give Netanyahu a "safety net" so that such a deal could be reached.

"He has a majority in the Knesset [parliament] and a majority in the country, there is no need to get excited about the empty threats of Ben-Gvir and Smotrich," he wrote on X.

Hamas will need to agree to the proposal too. Questions remain over whether the group will trust Netanyahu's government not to restart the war at a later date.

As the proposal is currently just a framework, any agreement will have to be followed by talks over the specific wording of a final deal.

Opinion polls suggest Netanyahu is under mounting pressure from the Israeli public to end the war - as well as from the families of the 48 hostages remaining in Gaza, 20 of whom are thought to be alive.

It comes on top of growing global pressure, with the UK, France and other countries formally recognising the state of Palestine at the UN General Assembly last week.

Trump is also said to be growing impatient with the Israeli leader, expressing annoyance at Israel's air strikes on US ally Qatar earlier this month, which were aimed at assassinating Hamas leadership.

Hundreds of thousands of people have fled Gaza City in recent weeks, as Israeli presses ahead with a ground offensive

He also said he "will not allow" Israel to annex the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which had been mooted by some in Israel as a possible response to the recent recognition moves.

During the UN General Assembly last week, Trump met with leaders of Middle Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, calling it his "most important meeting" of the day.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff said the following day: "We're hopeful and, I might say, even confident that in the coming days we'll be able to announce some sort of breakthrough."

Over the weekend, Trump posted on social media: "We have a real chance for GREATNESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST. ALL ARE ON BOARD FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL, FIRST TIME EVER. WE WILL GET IT DONE!!!"

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 66,055 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

In August, a UN-backed body confirmed that famine was taking place in Gaza City. Earlier this month, a UN commission of inquiry concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza - which Israel strongly rejects.