WASHINGTON : European and Middle Eastern leaders on Tuesday welcomed a U.S. peace plan for Gaza, as President Donald Trump urged Hamas to accept the proposal drawn up with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The 20-point plan calls for an immediate halt to fighting and the release within 72 hours of 20 living Israeli hostages held by Hamas, along with the remains of more than two dozen believed dead, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons, a Palestinian source told the BBC.
It also stipulates that Hamas will have no role in governing Gaza and leaves the door open for the eventual creation of a Palestinian state. Netanyahu, however, later reiterated his opposition to Palestinian statehood, highlighting a major obstacle to the deal’s long-term prospects.
Trump said the plan was Hamas’s “last chance” to end the conflict, while leaders in Europe and the Middle East cautiously hailed the move as a potential step toward stability in the region.
The U.S. has introduced a peace plan for Gaza, supported by President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, which has been cautiously received by international leaders. The plan involves a ceasefire and prisoner exchange but faces obstacles due to Netanyahu's rejection of Palestinian statehood, complicating its future viability.