Trump has maintained his support for Israel, but he has been showing some frustration, especially following Israel’s airstrike on Qatar earlier this month.
WASHINGTON — On the brink of a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday that Israel is collaborating with the White House on a new ceasefire plan, although the specifics are still being worked out.
Facing intense global pressure to halt the conflict, particularly amidst the continuous campaign in Gaza City, Netanyahu is under scrutiny. The casualty count from the Israel-Hamas conflict has risen to over 66,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry on Sunday.
In Monday’s White House meeting, Trump is expected to share a new proposal for ending the conflict.
“We’re in the process,” Netanyahu informed Fox News Sunday’s “The Sunday Briefing.” “The plan isn’t finalized yet, but we are actively working with President Trump’s team right now, and I’m hopeful we will succeed.”
Arab officials familiar with the plan describe a 21-point proposal that includes an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages held by Hamas within two days, and a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. These officials requested anonymity as the proposal has yet to be officially disclosed.
Netanyahu has pledged to persist in the battle until Hamas, responsible for the October 7, 2023, assault that sparked the war, is eliminated. Nonetheless, he reiterated his proposal allowing Hamas members to exit Gaza as part of an agreement to end the hostilities.
“If they finish the war, release all the hostages, we let them out,” he said.
Growing international pressure on Israel
Trump has so far stood behind Israel. But the U.S. leader has shown signs of impatience lately, particularly after Israel struck the headquarters of Hamas’ political leadership in Doha, Qatar, earlier this month. Ceasefire talks have stalled since, despite growing international and domestic protests.
Key Western allies have joined a list of countries recognizing a Palestinian state over Israeli objections. The European Union is considering sanctions and there are growing moves for a sports and cultural boycott against Israel.
A defiant Netanyahu told fellow world leaders Friday at the U.N. General Assembly that his nation “must finish the job” against Hamas in Gaza, where 48 hostages are still held captive, around 20 of them believed by Israel to be alive.
Trump’s 21-point ceasefire plan
Trump’s ceasefire proposal would include the release of all hostages within 48 hours and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian enclave, according to three Arab officials briefed on the plan. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing talks, said the proposal is not final and changes are highly likely.
Trump discussed the proposal with Arab leaders in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
A Hamas official said the group was briefed on the plan but has yet to receive an official offer from Egyptian and Qatari mediators. Hamas has said it is ready to “study any proposals positively and responsibly.”
The official said the group had previously said it was willing to release all hostages in return for an end to the war and a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the strip.
Nonstop explosions reported in Gaza
Local hospitals in central Gaza said at least 10 people were killed when at least two strikes hit homes in the Nuseirat refugee camp.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said in its daily report the death toll has climbed to 66,005, with a further 168,162 wounded since the war started.
The ministry, part of the Hamas-run administration, does not differentiate between civilians and militants in its toll, but has said women and children make up around half the dead. Its figures are seen as a reliable estimate by the U.N. and many independent experts.
Residents reported hearing sounds of explosions overnight across the city, likely coming from the demolition of buildings through the detonation of explosive-laden vehicles and robots. “They were nonstop,” Sayed Baker, a Palestinian who shelters close to a Shifa hospital, said of the explosions.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strikes, but said it struck 140 Hamas military targets over the past 24 hours, including militants, observation equipment and infrastructure.
On Sunday, the military said it had struck a high-rise building in Gaza City after warning residents to evacuate. The strike leveled the 16-story Macca tower. No casualties were reported.
The Israeli military said the building housed “military infrastructure belonging to Hamas.” It is the latest in a series of demolitions in recent weeks as Israel expands its offensive.
Israel’s offensive has destroyed vast areas of Gaza, displacing around 90% of the population amid a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with experts saying Gaza City is experiencing famine.
On Sunday, Israeli security forces also shot dead the alleged attacker in an incident in which a man was seriously injured at a road junction near Nablus in the West Bank. The attack was praised by Hamas. Violence has surged in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which alongside Gaza and east Jerusalem was captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war and the Palestinians want for a future state. ___ Magdy reported from Cairo and Dell’Orto reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writer Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv contributed to this report.
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