Trump secures Israeli support for Gaza deal, warns Hamas of "full US backing" for Israel

On September 29, President Donald Trump secured the backing of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a U.S.-brokered peace initiative aimed at ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza, though uncertainty remained over whether Hamas would agree to the proposal.

Speaking alongside Netanyahu at a White House press conference after their meeting, Trump declared that they were “beyond very close” to achieving a long-elusive peace for the Palestinian enclave. At the same time, he warned Hamas that if the group rejected the offer, Israel would have Washington’s full support to take whatever actions it deemed necessary.

The White House released a 20-point plan outlining the U.S. vision for a settlement. Key elements include an immediate ceasefire, the exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody, a phased Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas, and the establishment of a transitional governing authority led by an international body.

Trump entered Monday’s discussions hoping to overcome Netanyahu’s reservations about certain aspects of the plan. It was not immediately clear if the Trump administration and the Israeli government had fully bridged their differences, particularly concerning the possibility of future Palestinian statehood — which Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected — and whether the Palestinian Authority would play any role in post-war governance of Gaza.

Thanking Netanyahu for his endorsement, Trump said: “Thank you for agreeing to the plan and for trusting that if we work together, we can bring an end to the death and destruction that we’ve seen for so many years, decades, even centuries.”

Standing beside him, Netanyahu announced his support: “I support your plan to end the war in Gaza, which achieves our war aims. It will bring back to Israel all our hostages, dismantle Hamas’ military capabilities, end its political rule, and ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel.”

Still, the viability of the U.S. proposal hinged on Hamas, whose absence from talks and consistent refusals to disarm cast doubt on whether peace could be achieved. According to Israel, Hamas, which launched the war with its October 7, 2023, attack, continues to hold 48 hostages, 20 of them believed to be alive. A Hamas official said that the group had not formally received the proposal, saying: “Hamas hasn’t yet received the plan officially, nothing beyond media publication.” However, a source familiar with the discussions said Qatar and Egypt had shared the document with Hamas, and the group indicated to mediators that it would review it “in good faith” before giving a response.

This marked Netanyahu’s fourth White House visit since Trump returned to the presidency in January, with the Israeli leader keen to reinforce his country’s most vital diplomatic relationship after a number of Western nations recently recognised Palestinian statehood at the United Nations, defying both the U.S. and Israel. Trump strongly criticised those recognitions, denouncing them as a reward for Hamas.

The meeting represented a renewed diplomatic push by Trump, who campaigned in 2024 on a promise to swiftly end the Gaza conflict. Despite repeatedly claiming that a peace deal was imminent, those expectations have so far gone unfulfilled. Last week, Washington had presented its plan to Arab and Muslim states on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

Trump described his proposals in glowing terms during Monday’s event but abruptly concluded what was billed as a press conference without taking questions. His approach echoed earlier moments in his foreign policy: in August, he emerged from a summit in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin without achieving a Ukraine ceasefire, yet nonetheless rated the meeting “a 10” out of 10.

Netanyahu, while thanking Trump and describing him as a “friend of Israel,” carefully distanced himself from parts of the U.S. plan, notably the proposed reforms for the Palestinian Authority and the ambiguous pathway toward Palestinian statehood. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority, in a statement carried by WAFA news agency, welcomed Trump’s initiative and reiterated its readiness to work with the U.S. and international partners toward a comprehensive settlement.

Netanyahu faces mounting internal pressures: families of Israeli hostages are demanding swifter action, while polls show the public growing weary of war. Yet his right-wing coalition could collapse if far-right ministers decide he has conceded too much in pursuit of peace.

Steven Cook, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said prospects for ending the conflict may have improved, but cautioned that significant hurdles remained. “The Qataris now must put the screws to Hamas, and Netanyahu needs to sell to his security cabinet,” he observed.

Hamas fighters killed some 1,200 people and seized 251 hostages in their October 7 assault, according to Israeli figures. Since then, more than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military operations, Gaza health officials report.

The U.S. plan, drafted by Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff together with Jared Kushner, his Middle East adviser from the first term, calls for a ceasefire followed by the release of all remaining hostages within 72 hours in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, alongside a gradual Israeli troop withdrawal. The framework leaves open a path toward Palestinian statehood but only after Gaza’s reconstruction is underway and once the Palestinian Authority implements reforms, without specifying details.

A source close to the talks said the issue of Palestinian statehood — which Netanyahu has sworn never to allow — was among the main obstacles to his acceptance of Trump’s initiative. Under the plan, the U.S. would cooperate with Arab partners and international players to create a temporary stabilisation force responsible for security in Gaza. Governance would exclude Hamas, while the Palestinian Authority would only have a limited representative role, in line with Netanyahu’s insistence that the PA not control the enclave.

Instead, the plan envisions a technocratic Palestinian committee managing Gaza’s day-to-day services under the supervision of an international “board of peace.” According to the White House, this board would be chaired by Trump and include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

By Tamilla Hasanova