Trump declares Gaza deal

A peace plan for Gaza touted by President Trump as a historic breakthrough is facing its first hurdle this week, after Israel and Hamas agreed in principle to a list of terms that could end the war.

- By MICHAEL WILNER

IN ISRAEL, a mural honors those who were killed in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

(YAHEL GAZIT For The Times)

A peace plan for Gaza touted by President Trump as a historic breakthrough is facing its first hurdle this week, after Israel and Hamas agreed in principle to a list of terms that could end the war.

The 20-point American plan reflects an administration losing patience with Israel, while also leveraging its relationships with Arab partners to finally pressure Hamas into a deal that would release the Israeli hostages still in its custody two years after the Oct. 7 attack.

On Wednesday evening, Trump said both parties had agreed to the first phase of his plan, securing the hostage release in exchange for a limited Israeli troop withdrawal.

"I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan,” Trump wrote on social media. “This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.”

The president's push comes amid an unexpected and growing divide within the Republican base over support for Israel — once seen as a bedrock of the alliance — and as Trump presents himself as a global peacemaker, ahead of the announcement of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize on Friday.

The president is expected to travel to the region over the weekend to secure the deal.

"All Parties will be treated fairly!” Trump wrote. “BLESSED ARE ‘THE PEACEMAKERS!”

One former senior Biden administration official who worked on the Gaza crisis told The Times that Trump's 20-point plan “is credible,” if not fully baked, and that Trump’s position of influence over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may give the proposal “a real chance of success.”