Israel has agreed to a US proposal to end its war on Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump have announced after holding talks at the White House.
The White House has released a 20-point peace plan that would encourage Palestinians to remain in Gaza, see hostages and prisoners released on both sides, and see the Israeli military end its attacks, recently labelled a genocide by a UN Commission of Inquiry.
"So this is a big, big day, a beautiful day," Mr Trump said. "Potentially one of the great days ever in civilisation."
Click here to read the plan in full.
The plan, if enacted, would establish a temporary Palestinian governing body, supervised by a "Board of Peace" headed by Mr Trump.
Former UK prime minister Tony Blair would also be on the board.
The plan includes conditions that have previously been rejected by both sides. It is dependent on Hamas's agreement, though the plan itself says it would be partially implemented even if Hamas rejects it.
If Hamas did not agree, Mr Trump said, "Israel would have my full backing to finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas".
"But I have a feeling that we're going to have a positive answer," Mr Trump said.
Key elements of the plan include:
- An immediate end to Israel's attacks on Gaza, and the gradual withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
- Palestinians to remain in, or return to, Gaza if they choose
- The disarmament of Hamas, with an amnesty offered to members who commit to peaceful coexistence with Israel
- A surge of aid into Gaza, to be distributed by the United Nations and Red Crescent
- The establishment of a temporary international stabilisation force (ISF) to oversee security in Gaza
- Some sort of process to "deradicalise" Gaza
- Recognition that the plan could produce the conditions for a pathway to a future Palestinian state — though it appears details on this point are vague.
The plan says Israel "will not occupy or annex Gaza", and the ISF will train "vetted Palestinian police forces" to eventually maintain internal security.
"Practically, the IDF will progressively hand over the Gaza territory it occupies to the ISF," the plan says, but notes that Israel would also maintain a "security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat".
Mr Netanyahu said the plan achieved Israel's war aims.
"I support your plan to end the war in Gaza," he told Mr Trump, and described the US president as the "greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House".
The leaders did not take questions at a White House press conference where they outlined their positions on the deal. A reporter asked if any Palestinians had been consulted on the plan, but was ignored.
Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said the group had not yet formally received the plan, Al Jazeera reported.
Mr Blair, a divisive figure in the Middle East due to his role in the US-led Iraq invasion in 2003, called the plan "bold and intelligent".
"It offers us the best chance of ending two years of war, misery and suffering," he said.
Mr Netanyahu has also apologised to Qatar's prime minister for Israel's recent air strike in the country's capital, Doha, during a three-way call with Mr Trump, the White House said.
Qatar, a US ally, has been a key mediator in ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas.
Both Qatar and the US were angered by Israel's bombing of a residential area of Doha, which was described as "barbaric" by Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.
A White House read-out of the phone call said: "Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed his deep regret that Israel's missile strike against Hamas targets in Qatar unintentionally killed a Qatari serviceman.
"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."
