Trump and Netanyahu say they have a peace proposal for Gaza

Former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, who Mr. Trump said would be on a peace board overseeing Gaza's governance, praised Mr. Trump's proposal.

"President Trump has put down a bold and intelligent plan which, if agreed, can end the war, bring immediate relief to Gaza, the chance of a brighter and better future for its people, whilst ensuring Israel's absolute and enduring security and the release of all hostages," he said.

"In particular, his willingness to chair the Board of Peace to oversee the new Gaza is a huge signal of support and confidence in the future of Gaza, of the possibility of Israelis and Palestinians finding a path to peace and of the potential for a broader regional and global alliance to counter the forces of extremism and promote peace and prosperity between nations," he added.

Netanyahu walked out of the West Wing at 3:56 p.m., accompanied by chief of protocol of the U.S. Monica Crowley. He waved but ignored shouted questions from reporters.

In what the White House had billed as a joint press conference, Mr. Trump declined to take questions from reporters, as planned. The president suggested perhaps it isn't "appropriate" to take questions before they sign documents.

"I think Bibi, depending on you, I think while we're waiting for signatures and waiting for approvals from a lot of different countries that are involved in this, we probably shouldn't take questions? Or would you like to take a question or two from perhaps a friendly Israeli reporter, if there's such a thing?" Mr. Trump asked.

Netanyahu called that a tough proposition, but said he agreed with Mr. Trump. "Let's settle the issue first," he said.

The leaders also ignored shouted questions from reporters as they made their way out of the room.

"We're giving everybody a chance to have this done peacefully," Netanyahu said, but he warned Hamas what would happen if they don't agree to the proposal.

"But if Hamas rejects your plan, Mr. President, or if they supposedly accept it and then basically do everything to counter it, then Israel will finish the job by itself," he said. "This can be done the easy way or it can be done the hard way, but it will be done."

Netanyahu said the Palestinian Authority, which exercises partial governmental control over Palestinian enclaves in the occupied West Bank, would not be involved in the plan unless it was reformed.

"Gaza will have a peaceful civilian administration that is run neither by Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority," Netanyahu said.

Mr. Trump also said Netanyahu reiterated that he opposes a Palestinian state.

"At our meeting today, Prime Minister Netanyahu was very clear about his opposition to a Palestinian state," Mr. Trump said. "And he continuously mentions October 7th, and I understand that."

Speaking to reporters for the first time since their meeting, Netanyahu said he supports Mr. Trump's proposal.

"I support your plan to end the war in Gaza, which achieves our war aims," Netanyahu said. "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."

Netanyahu said Mr. Trump is changing the world for the better.

"I believe that today we're taking a critical step toward both ending the war in Gaza and setting the stage for dramatically advancing peace in the Middle East," he said.

Netanyahu also expressed gratitude to Mr. Trump for being willing to lead the so-called peace body.

President Trump raised the possibility that the Abraham Accords negotiated during his first term could be expanded to include Iran.

"I negotiated the Abraham Accords, and my plan would expand them, and Iran might join them," Mr. Trump said, pronouncing the first syllable of "Abraham" as a short "a," rather than a long "a."

"I like to say it that way because real people, that's what they call it," he said, explaining his pronunciation.

Netanyahu said either pronunciation was fine, but also used Mr. Trump's version.

The Abraham Accords were signed in 2020 and led to formal diplomatic relations between Israel and two Gulf nations, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

The president said he, Netanyahu and the Qatari prime minister had a "great" and "productive" conversation. The president said the two other leaders "really had a heart-to-heart conversation."

"We agreed to launch a formal trilateral mechanism between Israel, Qatar and the United States to begin a dialogue to enhance mutual security, correct misperceptions and avoid future misgivings," the president said.

Mr. Trump acknowledged the critical role Qatar has played as a mediator

The president confirmed that he would chair the so-called "Board of Peace" that is to be set up to oversee the temporary governing committee of Gaza, as outlined in the White House document.

"So, it would be headed by a gentleman known as President Donald Jr. Trump of the United States," he said. But he said he had not asked to be its chair, that it was "not at my request."

"That's what I want is some extra work to do," he added, joking. "But it's so important that I'm willing to do it."

"We'll do it right," the president added.

Shortly after the White House released its proposal for peace in Gaza, the president said he's "formally releasing our principles for peace," adding that "people have really liked" the document.

Without going into detail, Mr. Trump thanked Netanyahu "for agreeing to the plan," and said Hamas is the only party left to accept it.

The president said all parties will have to agree on a timeline for Israeli forces to withdraw. Arab and Muslim nations need to "deal with" Hamas, he said.

"I hope that we're going to have a deal for peace," Mr. Trump said. "And if Hamas rejects the deal, which is always possible — they're the only one left, everyone else has accepted it. But I have a feeling that we're going to have a positive answer."

But if Hamas doesn't accept the proposal, Mr. Trump told Netanyahu, "you'd have our full backing to do what you would have to do."

Shortly before the joint press conference, the White House released the president's plan to end the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The plan, contained in a lengthy document titled "President Donald J. Trump's comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict," has not yet been approved by Israel or Hamas. Among the items in the document, the plan says Mr. Trump will head a "Board of Peace," an international transitional body that would oversee a temporary committee governing Gaza.

The transitional governance of Gaza, responsible for the day-to-day running of services, would be made up of Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by an international, transitional "Board of Peace." The board would be chaired by mr. Trump, with other members and heads of state to be announced, including former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair."

"Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza," the proposal says.

This body, the document says, "will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump's peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French proposal, and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza."

Under the plan — if both the Palestinians and Israelis accept it — "the war will immediately end," and Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed upon line for the release of hostages. The document also says Gaza will be "developed for the benefit of the people of Gaza."

The Trump administration proposal also says Israel "will not occupy or annex Gaza."

Opening the press conference, Mr. Trump said it was "potentially one of the great days ever in civilization."

"Things that have been going on for hundreds of years and thousands of years, we're going to, at least, we're at a minimum very, very close," the president said.

"We're talking about much beyond Gaza, the whole deal, everything getting solved, it's called peace in the Middle East," he added.

The president said he and Netanyahu had spoken about many key issues.

"Most importantly we discussed how to end the war in Gaza, but it's just a part of the bigger picture, which is peace in the Middle East. And let's call it eternal peace in the Middle East."

Mr. Trump and Netanyahu participated in a trilateral phone call with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani Monday in which the Israeli prime minister expressed "deep regret" for its Sept. 9 strike in Doha that killed a Qatari security officer, the White House said in a readout of the call. Doha-based Al Jazeera reported that Israel had targeted Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital who were meeting to discuss a potential ceasefire.

"As a first step, Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed his deep regret that Israel's missile strike against Hamas targets in Qatar unintentionally killed a Qatari serviceman," the White House readout of the call said. "He further expressed regret that, in targeting Hamas leadership during hostage negotiations, Israel violated Qatari sovereignty and affirmed that Israel will not conduct such an attack again in the future."

The White House said the three leaders also discussed a proposal for ending the war in Gaza.

Israel's strike on Doha killed several low-level Hamas members, according to Hamas at the time, in addition to the Qatari guard. Israel Defense Forces said they were targeting Hamas leadership figures.

A technical team of Qatari officials is at the White House Monday in a meeting separate from the Trump-Netanyahu meeting, a source with knowledge of the talks said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday in an interview with Fox News' "The Sunday Briefing" that Mr. Trump's plan was still in progress, but "I hope we can make it a go because we want to free our hostages. We want to get rid of Hamas rule and have them disarmed, Gaza demilitarized, and a new future set up for Gazans and Israelis alike and for the whole region."

He also indicated it was possible Hamas leaders could be allowed to leave under a peace deal.

"In previous statements, I said that if Hamas leaders, for example, are escorted out of the country, … if they finish the war, release all the hostages, we let them out." He added that it would have to be "worked out."

This is Netanyahu's fourth meeting with Mr. Trump during the president's second term.

Netanyahu's government has faced increasing international pressure over its handling of the Israel-Hamas war, which has destroyed much of the Gaza Strip's infrastructure and killed more than 60,000 people, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which does not specify how many of the dead were militants or civilians. The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.

By CBS News, Joe Walsh

There are 48 hostages remaining in Gaza, out of the 251 who were initially taken by Hamas-led terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023, but Israel believes only 20 of them are still alive. Most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals.

The president greeted Netanyahu after his vehicle pulled up to the White House, and the two shook hands. Mr. Trump and Netanyahu exchanged brief words but were too far away for reporters to be able to hear them.

Mr. Trump was asked if he's confident they'll have a deal for peace in Gaza.

"I am," he responded. "Very confident."

The president said last Thursday he wouldn't let Israel annex the occupied West Bank, an idea that has been circulated by some members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

"I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank," the president told reporters during an Oval Office event. "There's been enough. It's time to stop now."

Several media outlets had reported that Mr. Trump gave private assurances to the leaders of Arab and majority-Muslim states that he would push back against any Israeli effort to annex the occupied territory.

Mr. Trump said on social media Friday that "very inspired and productive discussions" and "intense negotiations" about Gaza were taking place with countries in the region.

He told reporters the same day, "I think we have maybe a deal on Gaza, very close to a deal on Gaza…I think it's a deal that will get the hostages back. It's gonna be a deal that will end the war…. I think we have a deal."

Israel has been pressing ahead with another major ground operation in Gaza City. It follows reports from humanitarian experts that parts of Gaza are experiencing famine. More than 300,000 people are reported to have fled Gaza City, but up to 700,000 are still there, in many cases because they can't afford to relocate.

— CBS/AP

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told fellow world leaders in an address at the United Nations Friday that Israel "must finish the job" against Hamas in Gaza, giving a defiant speech despite growing international isolation over his refusal to end the devastating war in Gaza.

"Western leaders may have buckled under the pressure," he said. "And I guarantee you one thing: Israel won't."

He spoke after dozens of delegates from multiple nations walked out of the U.N. General Assembly hall en masse Friday as he began.

Responding to countries' recent decisions to recognize Palestinian statehood, Netanyahu said: "Your disgraceful decision will encourage terrorism against Jews and against innocent people everywhere."

— CBS/AP

Steve Witkoff, the White House's special envoy, presented Israel and Hamas with a "detailed 21-point plan" for peace, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Monday morning.

"We've obviously had direct and indirect conversations with Hamas as well, and ultimately, the President knows when you get to a good deal, both sides are going to leave a little bit unhappy, but we need this conflict to end," Leavitt told reporters. "The president has made that very clear."