U.S. President Donald Trump held forth hope on Sunday for reaching a Gaza truce ahead of a meeting on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“We have a real chance for greatness in the Middle East. All are on board for something special, for the first time ever. We will get it done,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.
Of the 21-point plan presented to Arab leaders by the Trump administration on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, Netanyahu told “The Sunday Briefing” on the cable-TV channel Fox News on Sept. 28 that Israel is looking at it, but it hasn’t been “finalized.”
“We’re working with President Trump’s team, actually, as we speak. And I hope we can make it a go, because we want to free our hostages. We want to get rid of Hamas rule,” Netanyahu said.
The 21-point plan includes an immediate end to the war, the release of the remaining hostages by Hamas, the release of thousands of Palestinian terrorists by Israel, the disarmament of the terror group, and a temporary international force to oversee civilian affairs in the Strip.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News that he was “cautiously hopeful” as the Israelis and Arabs engage in a “complicated negotiation” led by Steve Witkoff, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“I feel more optimistic about where we are right now than where we have been at any point in the last few months, but let’s be realistic, these things can get derailed at the very last minute,” Vance said.
Responding to Trump’s Sept. 25 comments that he wouldn’t let Israel annex the Gaza Strip, Vance said the president wants the people of Gaza and Judea and Samaria to “be controlled by the people who live there.”
However, Netanyahu appears to be considering annexation. The Yediot Achronot daily reported in late August of a meeting of a select group of ministers led by the prime minister to discuss the possibility.
Trump confirmed on Friday night that negotiations with Arab states and Israel regarding the future of Gaza were underway.
“We are having very inspired and productive discussions with the Middle Eastern community concerning Gaza,” Trump said.
