Trump's plan has momentum, but its ambiguity is not a promising startpublished at 18:00 BST 30 September

18:00 BST 30 September

Jeremy Bowen
International Editor

Image source, Getty Images

Donald Trump's framework agreement for ending the Gaza war and reconstructing the devastated territory has momentum behind it.

Much of it comes from the president himself. Momentum comes too from leading Arab and Islamic countries who have supported the plan, including Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Pakistan, Indonesia and Turkey.

And Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, standing next to Donald Trump, accepted it too, despite the fact it contains talk of a pathway to a Palestinian state that he has repeatedly denounced.

To keep the pace up, Trump says that Hamas has "three to four days" to decide whether to say yes or no. If the answer is no, the war goes on.

Momentum is the plan's strength. Its weakness is the lack of detail, a characteristic of Trumpian diplomacy.

If it is to work, hard negotiation will be necessary. In that process there will be many opportunities for it to break down.

It may not be possible to end a deep-seated conflict that has lasted more than a century. Longer term, the UK and many countries outside Israel and the US believe that any attempted solution that does not lead to Palestinian independence will not bring peace.

Netanyahu believes the deal takes him closer to Israel's elusive victory over Hamas. He denies any Palestinian right to the land between the river Jordan and the sea.

One plan, two very different versions of what it means. The framework is ambiguous enough for both interpretations to be possible.

That is not a promising start.

We're now ending our live coverage, you can read Jeremy's story in full on our website.

Nabiha Ahmed
Live reporter

Image source, Reuters

Donald Trump has outlined a peace plan to bring an end to the war in Gaza and issued a deadline of "three to four days" for Hamas to respond.

"It's going to be a very sad end" if Hamas rejects the deal, he told reporters outside the White House on Tuesday.

Hamas haven't yet responded to Trump's plan but Qatar's foreign ministry say the group are studying it "responsibly".

The 20-point plan, announced during Israeli PM Netanyahu's visit to the White House on Monday, includes an immediate end to military operations and the release of all hostages within 72 hours.

It also details that Hamas would have no governing role in Gaza. Instead, the Strip would be governed by a "technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee", and a "Board of Peace" made up of international leaders.

A senior Hamas official has told the BBC that the group are likely to reject Trump's proposal, saying it "serves Israel's interests" and "ignores those of the Palestinian people".

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has given his support to the US president's proposal, but has today reiterated that Israel will "forcibly resist" a Palestinian state - despite its conditional inclusion in the 20-point plan.

Hamas is now set to meet with Qatari officials to discuss the peace plan in more detail. The outcome of those talks is yet to be determined.

We will shortly be ending our live coverage - our next post will bring you some analysis on Trump's Gaza peace plan from our international editor Jeremy Bowen.

• Elsewhere on the BBC, Lucy Williamson asks what avoiding a peace deal might mean for Netanyahu and we've been hearing reaction from people in Israel and Gaza.

Trump's Gaza peace deal asks for the release of all Israel hostages, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Strip, and the disarming of Hamas.

There is broad support for Trump's proposal across nations in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

But there's plenty of reason for caution, says the BBC's John Sudworth, watch the video below to find out why:

Rushdi Abualouf
BBC News Gaza correspondent

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

A senior Hamas figure has told the BBC that the group is likely to reject Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza, saying it "serves Israel's interests" and "ignores those of the Palestinian people".

The figure said that Hamas is unlikely to agree to disarming and handing over their weapons - a key condition of Trump's plan.

Hamas is also said to object to the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) in Gaza, which it views as a new form of occupation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted Trump's plan during White House talks on Monday. Hamas has not yet given an official response.

Qatar's foreign ministry has said Hamas is studying the White House proposal "responsibly".

A senior Palestinian official with knowledge of Hamas talks told the BBC they involve the group's leadership both inside and outside of Gaza.

The group's military commander in the territory, Ez al-Din al-Haddad, is thought to be determined to keep fighting rather than accept the plan on offer. Hamas figures outside Gaza have recently found themselves sidelined in discussions as they do not have direct control over the hostages.

• Read Rushdi's reporting in full

Image source, EPA

A freelance journalist in Gaza City has told the BBC that people in Gaza have conflicting views about the proposed peace plan and are "split into two".

Al Hassan Selmi told BBC World Service’s Newshour earlier that some are optimistic the new agreement will end the killing, while others are not so optimistic as the plan will mean Israel's army stay in the Gaza Strip.

“The people here have been suffering for two years from the killing and from the displacement. They need any solution, just to end their suffering here," he says.

Though, Selmi says that "Israel's withdrawal from Gaza will not be fast, and we will still live under the occupation". This could mean Gazans living in tents for a long time, he adds.

"The people now don’t care about anything because they’ve already lost everything.”

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

Dozens of white paper leaflets have been dropped from the sky over Gaza City today by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cites the leaflets as evidence against accusations that Israel targets civilians in the Gaza Strip.

Addressing the UN last week, he said that Israel has dropped "millions of leaflets and sent millions of texts" to persuade people in Gaza City to evacuate.

There has been no let up in Israel's expanded ground offensive against Hamas which is now mainly focused on Gaza City. Israel says the city is the last stronghold of the armed group.

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

Image source, Reuters

UN Secretary General António Guterres welcomes Trump's proposal for peace in Gaza, a spokesperson says.

In a statement, the spokesperson quotes Guterres as saying "it is now crucial that all parties commit to an agreement and its implementation".

The UN chief reiterates his call for an "immediate and permanent ceasefire, unfettered humanitarian access across Gaza and for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages".

"The United Nations remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting all efforts that promote peace, stability, and a more hopeful future for the people of Palestine and Israel and across the region," the statement concludes.

Netanyahu's friendship with Trump could cost him his governmentpublished at 16:06 BST 30 September

16:06 BST 30 September

Lucy Williamson
Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem

Image source, Getty Images

He promised total victory for Israel, but standing next to Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, it was Benjamin Netanyahu who looked defeated.

Israel's prime minister was saying all the right things about the peace deal he had just agreed to, but he seemed deflated, his voice hoarse and his energy dimmed, as he praised Trump as "the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House".

It is a friendship that could cost him his government.

Netanyahu's far-right allies have threatened to leave – and possibly collapse – his government if he makes too many concessions in ending the war.

Coalition partners like Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir have made little secret of their desire to annex Gaza, drive out Palestinians and re-establish Jewish settlements there.

They – and Netanyahu – have been implacably opposed to any role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza, and any pathway to a Palestinian State. The deal Netanyahu has now agreed to outlines both, though with heavy caveats.

Trump knows that by pushing the Israeli prime minister into this deal, he is asking him to risk his government. In return, he is dangling the prospect of a historic legacy – a new, more peaceful future for the region, and new ties between Israel and its Arab neighbours.

• Read more from Lucy Williamson in her full piece

Image source, EPA

Donald Trump's proposed plan to end the war in Gaza continues to spark international conversation.

Today, the US President says "it's going to be a very sad end" if Hamas don't sign the deal as he hands down a three to four day deadline for the group to respond.

He adds, though, that if the plan works out "it will be an A+".

Hamas are yet to respond to Trump's proposal, but Qatar's foreign minister says the group are studying the plan "responsibly".

Image source, Reuters

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has supported Trump's plan, says Israel will continue to oppose the recognition of Palestinian statehood.

Clause 19 of the White House peace plan refers to "a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood" if certain conditions are met. Netanyahu says Israel will "forcibly resist" Palestinian statehood.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar says "we shall see", when asked whether Hamas will accept the plan and abide by it.

In a statement published by its Wafa news agency, the Palestinian Authority welcomes Trump's "sincere and determined efforts" to bring an end to the war. They also call for a "non-militarised Palestinian state".

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer praises Trump's plan, saying that "all sides must now come together to bring this initiative into reality".

Image source, Reuters

We've also been hearing from people across Gaza and Israel:

A mother of four in Doaa, southern Gaza, tells the BBC she feels there is no choice but to support the plan: "Despite its injustice to our people, we just want to stop the war."

In Israel, Susan Kennedy says the plan has come too late. There have been "far too many deaths on both sides, our soldiers, our hostages, and the Gazan people," she says. But, she says she thinks "it's a great move".

We've been hearing reactions from people in both Gaza and Israel following Trump's proposal for peace.

In Jerusalem, two Israelis welcome the blueprint, but question if Hamas would agree to disarm after nearly two years of fighting in Gaza.

"I think this should have been done two years ago, we've done it way, way too late", a woman in Jerusalem says.

Meanwhile in the Palestinian territory, displaced Gazans raise concerns about Trump's previously expressed desire to build resorts on the land.

A Gazan man asks: "We as Palestinian citizens, where are we in this equation? Who is going to solve our situation? Who is going to save us?"

You can watch more reaction to Trump's proposal in the video below:

Image source, Reuters

While Keir Starmer praises Trump's peace plan during his speech at the Labour Party conference, Donald Trump is addressing senior military leaders.

Speaking on stage at Quantico in Virginia, Trump tells the crowd that his 20-point peace plan is "an amazing thing, it just came together".

"If it works out it would be an A+" he adds.

We're continuing to listen across Trump's speech at the event in Virginia, and will bring you any more developments.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer reiterates his support for Trump's proposed Gaza peace plan.

"I strongly support efforts to end the fighting, release every hostage and urgently scale up aid into Gaza," he says during his address at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool.

"All sides must now come together to bring this initiative into reality," he adds.

In the video below you can hear his full remarks. To follow along with the latest from his conference speech, head to our dedicated live page.

Image source, Getty Images

As we've just reported, hundreds of aid trucks entered Gaza yesterday as the war rages on.

As Trump announces a plan for peace and sets a deadline for Hamas to respond, people continue to get what they can from a distribution centre run by the US.

The latest images from Nuseirat in central Gaza show large crowds gathering to collect aid from a distribution centre run by the US Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

As a reminder, more than 100 international aid organisations and human rights groups have warned of mass starvation in Gaza.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, COGAT/Handout via REUTERS

Trump's new peace plan for Gaza says that upon acceptance aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip.

It also says that "entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent".

In the backdrop of the White House proposals, aid trucks are continuing to enter the territory.

Cogat, the Israeli military body responsible for humanitarian affairs in Gaza, say that almost 430 humanitarian aid trucks entered Gaza yesterday. They add that close to 330 were collected and distributed by the UN and other organisations.

The statement adds that the contents of "hundreds" of trucks are still awaiting collection.

As a reminder, humanitarian aid organisations have warned not enough aid is getting into Gaza - with the UN's Integrated Food Security Phase Classification previously confirming a famine in parts of the Strip.

Image source, Getty Images

We can bring you some more now from Donald Trump.

Speaking to reporters on the lawn of the White House about the 20-point plan he says "we're just waiting for Hamas".

He adds that "all of the Arab countries, the Muslim countries are all signed up. Israel's all signed up".

If Hamas don't sign the deal Trump says "it's going to be a very sad end".

Asked what Israel's response might look like if Hamas rejects the deal, Trump says he will let Israel "go and do what they have to do, and they could do it pretty easily". Though he doesn't elaborate on specifics.

Hamas has "paid a big price" says the US president, adding that their leadership has been "killed three different times".

"With Hamas, it's very simple" he says, "we want the hostages back immediately and we want some good behaviour."

We've just heard from US President Donald Trump, who says that Hamas have "three to four days" to respond to his 20-point plan for ending the war in Gaza.

In a news conference with Netanyahu yesterday, Trump said he would give Israel his "full backing to do what you would have to do" if Hamas reject the deal.

David Gritten
BBC News

Image source, Reuters

Qatar's prime minister has said it is ready to continue its efforts to end the war in Gaza.

It comes after Israeli PM Netanyahu expressed regret over an air strike that targeted Hamas leaders in Doha earlier this month.

In a trilateral call with US President Donald Trump, the Israeli PM told Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani that he regretted the killing of a Qatari security officer in the 9 September attack and violating Qatar's sovereignty, according to the White House.

He also affirmed that Israel would not conduct such a strike again in the future, it said.

Qatar's foreign ministry said Netanyahu had "apologised for the attack on Doha and on Qatar's sovereignty", as Sheikh Mohammed underscored the country's "readiness to continue engaging in efforts to bring an end to the war in the Gaza Strip, within the framework of the US president's initiative", it added.

For context, Qatar has hosted the Hamas political bureau since 2012 and has served along with the US and Egypt as a mediator in indirect negotiations between the group and Israel throughout the 23-month war in Gaza. It is also a key US ally in the region and hosts a major American airbase.

• You can read more on Qatar's role in mediation in our news story.

Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem

Hamas leaders are expected to take several days to give their response to the 20-point plan.

It calls for a ceasefire, the release of hostages by Hamas within 72 hours of an agreement, and a gradual Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza.

It also demands that Hamas disarms – something it’s previously rejected unless there’s a sovereign Palestinian state.

A video in Hebrew by the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu filmed just after his news conference at the White House, is likely to add to Hamas’s reservations.

In it, he maintains that the Israeli military will stay in most of Gaza.

Underlining the challenges for the Israeli leader, a key far-right minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has criticised the plan calling it a “resounding diplomatic failure".

Trump and Netanyahu's meeting at the White House on Monday culminated in the pair agreeing on a new peace plan for Gaza and warning Hamas to accept the proposals.

Here's what you need to know:

A plan for peace: Hamas is currently studying Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan "responsibly", according to Qatar's foreign ministry. The plan, supported by Israeli PM Netanyahu, includes a cessation of military operations and release of hostages - here's a closer look.

The question of statehood: A "credible pathway to Palestinian statehood" is proposed in the plan if certain conditions are met - including the reform of the Palestinian Authority and Gaza's re-development. Since the White House announcement, Netanyahu has said Israel will "forcibly resist" a Palestinian state.

What's the reaction?: International reaction, including a statement signed by the leaders of Arab countries, has been pouring in - we've recapped the latest. We've also been hearing from Palestinians in the West Bank who say they "want action". Israelis welcome the plan, but are doubtful about Hamas's response.

Fighting continues: The Israeli military says "precise strikes" were carried out on Gaza City yesterday, while the country's air force hit more than 160 targets throughout Gaza.

Analysis: Trump's Gaza plan is a significant step - but faces fundamental obstacles, writes Tom Bateman, while our diplomatic correspondent James Landale says history tells us international support and pressure is never enough to get a peace deal over the line.

Analysing Israeli military control of Gaza in White House peace planpublished at 12:34 BST 30 September

12:34 BST 30 September

By Merlyn Thomas and Benedict Garman

The White House published a map, external yesterday showing the various lines of Israeli troop withdrawal should Donald Trump’s peace plan go ahead.

Although the map, on the right in the graphic above, appears to be somewhat approximate - for example, Gaza's southern border with Egypt is not actually as straight as pictured - it gives us an idea of what this peace plan would mean for the Palestinian territory.

If the peace plan followed the boundaries shown on the White House map, the military’s initial withdrawal would leave Gaza about 55% occupied by Israeli forces.

The second withdrawal would leave it about 40% occupied.

And the final phase of the withdrawal, which would create a “security buffer zone“, leaving about 15% of Gaza occupied by the Israeli military.

The peace plan specifies that the “security perimeter presence” would remain until Gaza is “properly secure from any resurgent terror threat”. But it’s unclear when and who decides that this is the case.

It also shows an IDF "current line of control", but this map doesn’t closely correspond to our analysis of areas under evacuation orders or designated militarised zones.

The latest version of the IDF’s own map, on the left in the graphic above, shows the area which the Israeli military calls a "dangerous combat zone" covering about 80% of Gaza. Also shown is the part of southern Gaza it describes as a "humanitarian area".