Gaza peace plan speculation rises as Netanyahu meets Trump at White House
However, Israel was still deliberating the plan on Sunday, while Hamas said it hadn’t even been presented with it yet, according to The Times of Israel.
One of the plan’s 21 points states that much of the agreement can move forward even if Hamas doesn’t agree. This includes the establishment of a new transitional government of Palestinian technocrats and an international stabilization force in areas cleared of Hamas’s presence — which comprises the vast majority of the Gaza Strip, as reported by The Times of Israel.
However, without Hamas releasing the remaining 48 hostages, it is unlikely that Israel will agree to halt its offensive in Gaza City and beyond.
On Sunday night, Netanyahu reportedly met with West Bank settlement leaders ahead of his Monday meeting with US President Donald Trump. He stated that he will raise the issue of Israel applying sovereignty to the West Bank, according to The Times of Israel.
Netanyahu also acknowledged that he was faced with a “complicated reality,” signaling that Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank is unlikely.
Netanyahu’s allies to the right, including settlement leaders, have been pushing for Israel to apply its sovereignty to parts of the West Bank, particularly as a response to the growing number of Western countries recognizing a Palestinian state.
However, Trump has ruled out Israeli annexation of the West Bank, and the UAE — which normalized relations with Israel five years ago — stated that such a move would be a “red line,” as per The Times of Israel.
During the meeting, Netanyahu reportedly said, “We must navigate a complicated reality. We have a supportive president.” Referring to the previous US administration, he added, “Remember the Obama era, when he told us not to lay even one brick.”
He further explained that the “clear message from the settlement community is no to a Palestinian state, yes to applying sovereignty.”
*This story has been sourced from a third-party syndicated feed and agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability, or accuracy. Mid-day management and mid-day.com reserve the sole right to alter, delete, or remove (without notice) the content at their absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.*
https://www.mid-day.com/news/world-news/article/gaza-peace-speculation-grows-as-netanyahu-heads-to-white-house-for-talks-with-us-president-trump-23596303
