The prolonged Israeli war on Gaza, which the United Nations and human rights groups have described as genocide, could soon be over after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted a 20-point peace proposal presented by US President Donald Trump.
Both leaders addressed journalists on Monday at the White House, where Trump hailed the development as “a historic day for peace.”
Netanyahu, who had previously resisted peace efforts and often criticised Hamas negotiators, praised Trump’s initiative, saying: “I support your plan to end the war in Gaza, which achieves our war aims.”
According to reports, parts the 20-point plan includes:
- The US establishing dialogue between Israel and Palestine.
- Within 72 hours of Israel’s acceptance of the plan, Hamas releasing all remaining Israeli hostages.
- The war “will immediately end” if both sides agree to the plan.
- Israel releasing about 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and another 1,700 detainees arrested from Gaza since the war began nearly two years ago.
While Hamas, declared as a terror group by both Israel and the US has not formally accepted the proposal, the group has previously signaled a willingness to release Israeli hostages if Israel agrees to end the war and meets other conditions.
If implemented, the agreement could mark the first breakthrough in more than two years of devastating conflict.
