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 gives Hamas 72 hours, from the time Israel accepted the deal, to release the Israeli hostages held in Gaza, about 20 of whom are believed to still be alive.
Israel would subsequently be required to release 250 "life sentence prisoners", plus 1,700 Gazans detained since the October 7 attack.
If enacted, the plan would then 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.
Scepticism in Gaza
Qatar and Egypt have shared the plan with Hamas, whose negotiators said they would review it "in good faith", an official briefed on the talks told the Reuters news agency.
Some Palestinians in Gaza expressed scepticism.
"It's clear that this plan is unrealistic," computer programmer Ibrahim Joudeh told AFP from his shelter in the so-called humanitarian zone of Al-Mawasi in southern Gaza.
"It's drafted with conditions that the US and Israel know Hamas will never accept."
Gaza City resident Mohammed al-Beltaji said: "As always, Israel agrees then Hamas refuses — or the other way around. It's all a game, and we, the people, are the ones paying the price."
But street vendor Anas Srour said he had hope.
"No war lasts forever," he said. "This time I am very optimistic, and God willing, it will be a moment of joy that makes us forget our pain and our anguish."
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.
The Palestinian Authority, which has a governing role in the West Bank, would eventually take control of Gaza under the plan.
It welcomed Mr Trump's efforts and reiterated its commitment to work with the US and partners to reach a comprehensive deal, Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
The authority has promised to hold democratic elections in exchange for Western nations, including Australia but not the US, recognising a Palestinian state. It has also said Hamas would have no future governing role.
The Australian government argues an enduring peace will only be achieved if a Palestinian state is established alongside Israel.
"The [peace] plan, as it's been articulated, that keeps the door open for all of that," Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles told ABC Radio Melbourne.
"So that's where we see that there is hope, but what we need is for all parties to be embracing a pathway to peace here."
French President Emmanuel Macron said the plan should pave the way for a two-state solution, as detailed in a separate plan endorsed by 142 UN member states earlier this month.
Netanyahu 'expresses regret' over Doha strike
Mr Netanyahu has also "expressed his deep regret" to Qatar's prime minister for Israel's recent air strike in the country's capital, Doha.
Mr Trump said the men had a "heart-to-heart conversation" on a three-way phone call during the peace plan talks at the White House.
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."
ABC/wires
