 "Hostage release, permanent ceasefire: US presents 'Trump 21-point plan' for Gaza peace to Arab leaders")
The Trump administration presented a 21-point peace plan for Gaza that proposes an end to the Israel-Hamas war to Arab leaders earlier this week, following which Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff expressed confidence over “some sort of breakthrough” in the coming days.
“We had a very productive session. We presented what we call the Trump 21-point plan for peace in the Mideast, in Gaza,” Witkoff said after a meeting between President Donald Trump and the Arab leaders.
He added, “I think it addresses Israeli concerns, as well as the concerns of all the neighbours in the region. And we’re hopeful, and I might say even confident, that in the coming days, we’ll be able to announce some sort of breakthrough.”
The plan comes after hopes for a ceasefire dimmed following Israel’s strikes in Qatar earlier this month, angering the mediator country and halting talks between Israel and Hamas.
Sources told CNN that during this week’s meeting with Trump, the Qataris made a significant offer to continue serving as mediators, on the condition that they receive assurances there would be no future Israeli strikes on their territory.
What does the plan say?
The US proposal included several points already made public by the administration, such as the release of all hostages and a permanent ceasefire, according to a separate source briefed on the matter. The plan also outlined a framework for governing Gaza without Hamas and proposed a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory.
While the Arab leaders were on board with the broader aspects of the plan, they recommended a couple of provisions to be added to it.
They outlined a series of demands to be included in any final plan for Gaza, including: no Israeli annexation of the West Bank, preserving the current status quo in Jerusalem, ending the war in Gaza, securing the return of all hostages held by Hamas, increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza, and addressing Israel’s illegal settlements.
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Meanwhile, the civil defence said Israeli attacks on Wednesday killed at least 40 people across Gaza, including 22 in a warehouse sheltering displaced people near the Firas market in Gaza City.
Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it struck “two Hamas terrorists” in the north, where Gaza City is located, without offering more details.
In launching its US-backed ground offensive in Gaza City, the Israeli military told Palestinians to go to a designated “humanitarian area” in the south.
Israel has carried out repeated strikes on that area, Al-Mawasi, since declaring it a safe zone early in the war.
With inputs from agencies
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