At the conference, Trump and Netanyahu said they had agreed on a plan to end the war in Gaza. The US president laid out a 20-point plan to achieve a permanent ceasefire and establish post-war governance in the Palestinian enclave, which has been devastated by Israeli aggression for nearly two years.
During the conference, Trump said, " We are talking about eternal peace in the entire Middle East, not just a cessation of hostilities in Gaza. I thank Netanyahu for agreeing to the plan." He added, "We are very close to resolving an ancient problem in the Middle East, and the region's leaders are fully engaged in the peace plan."
Trump's plan calls for the establishment of an interim governing council headed by the US president, called the "Peace Council," and including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Trump also explained that his plan includes the release of Israeli prisoners within 72 hours, a ceasefire, and the disarmament of Hamas. He said that his plan calls for the formation of an international oversight body headed by him that would be responsible for training a governing body in the Gaza Strip, but excludes Hamas.
The US President noted that he and Netanyahu discussed "a plan for peace in the entire Middle East, not just stopping the war in Gaza," as he put it. He continued, "I recognize Qatar's role in mediation, and I thank its Emir (Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani), who wants to achieve peace."
For his part, Netanyahu said he "supports the Trump plan for Gaza," believing it "achieves Israel's goals from the war," as he put it. He claimed that "Gaza will enjoy peaceful civilian administration, not run by Hamas or the Palestinian National Authority, if the Trump plan is implemented."
Netanyahu also claimed that Israel "will retain responsibility for security" in the Gaza Strip under the US plan, adding: "If Hamas rejects your plan, Mr. President, or if it pretends to accept it, and then does everything in its power to confront it, Israel will finish the job itself. It can be done easily, or it can be done hard, but it will be done."
Trump greeted Netanyahu at the White House entrance, saying, "I'm sure there will be a deal," according to the official Israeli Broadcasting Corporation. Last Tuesday, Trump presented a 21-point plan to end the war on Gaza during a meeting with leaders of Arab and Islamic countries in New York.
With American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving 66,055 martyrs and 168,346 wounded, most of them children and women, and a famine that has claimed the lives of 442 Palestinians, including 147 children.
