Netanyahu’s government has also faced growing pressure from Trump over Israel’s actions in the Middle East, with the president warning he would not allow the country to annex the already occupied West Bank and expressing rare public frustration over the attack targeting Hamas officials in U.S. ally Qatar.
That strike, on senior leaders gathering to discuss a U.S. peace proposal in the capital of a crucial mediator, had appeared to derail negotiations. And Netanyahu vowed to “finish the job” in Gaza in his speech at the United Nations on Friday that saw dozens of delegates walk out in protest.
Still, Trump on Sunday sounded optimistic about the possibility of a truce, despite past efforts repeatedly falling short.
“We have a real chance for GREATNESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “ALL ARE ON BOARD FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL, FIRST TIME EVER. WE WILL GET IT DONE,” he said.
Trump presented his peace plan to Arab nations last week in a meeting held on the sidelines of the annual U.N. General Assembly.
The sources who spoke with NBC News said it had been largely well received, though they were unaware if Hamas had seen the plan and said it was likely to evolve through negotiations.
The timeline for the IDF’s complete withdrawal from Gaza under the U.S. proposal was not specified, but the sources said it would be tied to standing up a stabilization force comprised of troops from the surrounding Arab states who would provide security for the strip.
In the interim, Gaza would be governed in two tiers with an international body overseeing a Palestinian committee. The role of the Palestinian Authority was not immediately clear. The plan requires that Hamas lay down its arms and play no role in Gaza’s governance.
The proposal also states there would be no forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, while humanitarian aid would be administered by the U.N. with the role of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation not immediately clear.
Speaking with Fox News early Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt suggested that under the deal “both sides” might “have to give up a little bit and might leave the table a little bit unhappy.”
Trump and Netanyahu are expected to meet in the Oval Office, with a news conference to follow.
“I think there is a good chance that the American administration really wants to see the end of the war and will probably use some of its levers of influence over Netanyahu,” Yossi Mekelberg, a senior consulting fellow with the Middle East and North Africa Program at the U.K think tank Chatham House, said in a phone interview.
But, he noted, “you cant have a ceasefire in the presence of one side,” adding: “It’s a big marriage and you need both sides to be present, so you need Hamas to agree, but Hamas is not in a very strong position right now.”
Hamas has previously said it will only release the remaining hostages held in Gaza in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and Israel’s withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave.
At least 48 hostages are believed to remain held in Gaza, of whom only 20 are believed to be alive.
On Sunday, Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades, said it had lost contact with two of the prisoners being held in Gaza due to Israeli operations.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents the families of hostages, said in a statement that the families of the captives named by Hamas were working with authorities to review the militant group’s claims.
The group also said Sunday it had not received any new peace proposal since negotiations were suspended after the Israeli attack on its negotiating team in Doha.
Around 250 people were taken hostage in the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people were also killed, marking a major escalation in a decadeslong conflict.
Since then, more than 66,000 people have been killed in Gaza under Israel’s assault, including thousands of children, while much of the enclave has been destroyed.
Yamiche Alcindor, Carol E. Lee, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed.
References
- ^ Monica Alba (www.nbcnews.com)
- ^ Chantal Da Silva (www.nbcnews.com)