New York [US], September 30: President Donald Trump secured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's backing on Monday for a U.S.-sponsored peace proposal to end a nearly two-year-old war in Gaza, but questions loomed over whether Hamas would accept the plan.
Speaking at a joint White House press conference following a meeting with Netanyahu, Trump said they were "beyond very close" to an elusive peace deal for the Palestinian enclave. But he warned the Islamist group Hamas that Israel would have full U.S. support to take whatever action it deemed necessary if the militants reject what he has offered.
The White House released a 20-point document that called for an immediate ceasefire, an exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a staged Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas disarmament and a transitional government led by an international body.
Trump went into Monday's meeting seeking to overcome Netanyahu's misgivings over parts of the plan. It was not immediately clear whether the Trump administration and Israel had resolved all their differences, including over the possibility of a future Palestinian State, which Netanyahu has forcefully rejected, and any role for the Palestinian Authority in post-war governance of the enclave.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation
