Negotiations with Arab states and Israel regarding the future of Gaza are underway, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on Friday night, speaking in the wake of reports of an ambitious 21-point peace plan put forth by Washington to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“We are having very inspired and productive discussions with the Middle Eastern Community concerning Gaza,” Trump said via Truth Social.
“All of the Countries within the Region are involved, Hamas is very much aware of these discussions, and Israel has been informed at all levels, including Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu,” he continued.
“Everyone is excited to put this period of Death and Darkness behind them. It is an Honor to be a part of this Negotiation. We must get the Hostages back, and get a PERMANENT AND LONGLASTING PEACE!”
On Tuesday, the Trump administration presented a 21-point plan to Arab leaders on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly annual general debate in New York, which would see a prompt release of all the remaining hostages, the transfer of power in the Strip to an intermediary Arab-led government, and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian enclave, according to CNN.
Saudi-based broadcaster Al Arabiya said it obtained a copy of the plan, citing several clauses from it on Friday.
These include:
- An immediate end to the war in Gaza.
- The unconditional release of all hostages.
- The release of thousands of Palestinian terrorists, including 100 to 200 prisoners with blood on their hands.
- The resumption of unrestricted aid delivered into Gaza by international organizations and the U.N., including the closure of the U.S.-based Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
- The disarmament of Hamas by an international, Arab security force within a time-bound framework. Hamas terrorists who agree to these terms will receive safe passage to exit the Strip.
- The international force will temporarily administer civilian issues in Gaza, with the Palestinian Authority eventually taking over.
- The reconstruction of the Gaza Strip over a five-year time span, led by an international and Arab consortium.
- The United States will have guarantees in place that Israel does not apply sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, with both Israeli and Palestinians agreeing to resume negotiations over a peace agreement that would end the decades-old conflict.
The Washington Post also reported that it obtained a copy of the plan, providing additional details in its Saturday article. These include the destruction of all Hamas’s offensive weaponry, the release within 48 hours of all 20 living hostages and the bodies of the more than two dozen captives believed dead, and the freezing of “battle lines in place.”
According to the Post, the plan states: “Once all the hostages have been released, Israel will release 250 prisoners serving life sentences plus 1,700 Gazans detained after October 7. For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans.”
Further details include an Israeli promise to launch “no further attacks on Qatar.” The plan acknowledges “the important role Qatar has played as a mediator in this conflict,” noting that it was Washington and Jerusalem that first asked Doha to host Hamas negotiators.
Other reports stated that the plan would move ahead even if Hamas rejects its terms, with the majority of the 21 points proceeding in terror-free zones conquered by the Israel Defense Forces.
The plan moreover reportedly emphasizes the de-radicalization of the Palestinian population, with the Palestinian Authority undergoing significant reform.
Religious Zionism Party lawmaker Ohad Tal told JNS on Sunday that “any plan must correspond with the five goals outlined by the Security Cabinet in August, primarily that Hamas does not retain any power in Gaza, that the IDF doesn’t withdraw completely and that Gaza is completely disarmed.
“Any plan that does not include these principles is irrelevant,” he said.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said on Wednesday that “We had a very productive session,” referring to a meeting of an American delegation with Arab leaders in New York, according to CNN.
“We presented what we call the Trump 21-point plan for peace in the Mideast, in Gaza,” Witkoff added.
“I think it addresses Israeli concerns, as well as the concerns of all the neighbors in the region,” he continued. “And we’re hopeful, and I might say even confident, that in the coming days, we’ll be able to announce some sort of breakthrough.”
Netanyahu is slated to visit the White House on Monday. Discussions on the plan are expected to be high on the agenda.
