White House says 'very close' to deal on Gaza

Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas are "very close" to reaching an agreement on a framework deal to end the war on Gaza and ensure lasting peace in the Middle East, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday.

Leavitt, speaking on Fox News' "Fox and Friends" program, said President Donald Trump would discuss a 21-point peace plan with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House later on Monday. Trump will speak to leaders in Qatar, who have served as intermediaries with Hamas, on Monday, she said.

"To reach a reasonable deal for both sides, both sides have to give up a little bit and might leave the table a little bit unhappy, but that is ultimately how we are going to end this conflict," she said.

Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas are "very close" to reaching an agreement on a framework deal to end the war on Gaza and ensure lasting peace in the Middle East, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday.

Leavitt, speaking on Fox News' "Fox and Friends" program, said President Donald Trump would discuss a 21-point peace plan with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House later on Monday. Trump will speak to leaders in Qatar, who have served as intermediaries with Hamas, on Monday, she said.

"To reach a reasonable deal for both sides, both sides have to give up a little bit and might leave the table a little bit unhappy, but that is ultimately how we are going to end this conflict," she said.

Trump will host Netanyahu at the White House, with the US president pushing a Gaza peace proposal after a slew of Western leaders embraced Palestinian statehood in defiance of American and Israeli opposition.

In Netanyahu's fourth visit since Trump returned to office in January, the right-wing Israeli leader will be looking to shore up his country's most important relationship as it faces growing international isolation nearly two years into its war on the Gaza Strip.

After one failed diplomatic effort after another, Trump told Reuters on Sunday he hopes to get Netanyahu's agreement on a framework to end the conflict in the Palestinian enclave and free the remaining hostages held by Hamas.

Washington presented a 21-point peace plan to Arab and Muslim states last week, and Trump will try to close some of the remaining gaps with Netanyahu on Monday.

Though Netanyahu praises Trump as Israel's closest ally, there are signs of some Israeli scepticism over the proposal, as well as reservations among Arab states.

Netanyahu can expect a warmer welcome at the White House compared to the chilly reception he received on Friday when he spoke before the US General Assembly, where many delegates walked out in protest.

He went on to deliver a blistering attack on what he called a "disgraceful decision" over the past week by Britain, France, Canada, Australia and several other countries to recognise Palestinian statehood, a major diplomatic shift by top US allies.

They said such action was needed to preserve the prospect for a two-state solution and help bring the war to a close.

Trump optimistic, but hurdles remain

Trump, who had criticised the Palestinian recognition moves by Western leaders as a prize to Hamas, has presented an upbeat assessment of the chances of finally achieving an elusive peace deal.

"We're getting a very good response because Bibi wants to make the deal too," Trump said in a telephone interview with Reuters, using Netanyahu's nickname. "Everybody wants to make the deal."

Asked whether there is now an agreed deal for peace in Gaza, a senior Israeli official said "it's too early to tell." The official added that Netanyahu would give Israel's response to the proposal when he meets Trump on Monday.

Netanyahu is under mounting pressure from the captives' families and, according to public opinion polls, a war-weary Israeli public.

The US plan calls for the release of all captives, living and dead, no further Israeli attacks on Qatar and a new dialogue between Israel and Palestinians for "peaceful coexistence," a White House official said on condition of anonymity. Israel angered the Qataris and drew criticism from Trump for an airstrike in Doha on 9 September.

A source familiar with the discussions said Israeli officials had raised concerns with Washington over issues including the proposed involvement of Palestinian security forces in Gaza after the war, expelling Hamas officials from the enclave and assigning overall security responsibility.

Netanyahu strongly opposes any role not only for Hamas but for the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority in the future governance of Gaza.

Sources in Egypt, which has acted as a mediator in ceasefire talks, said Cairo was concerned that the Palestinian Authority would not be sidelined from administering Gaza, and about guarantees Israel would abide by any agreement's terms once hostages are freed.

Previous US-backed ceasefire efforts have fallen apart due to a failure to bridge the differences between Israel and Hamas, and Netanyahu has vowed to continue fighting.

The UAE is pressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept President Donald Trump's Gaza peace proposal at their meeting later on Monday and to abandon any plan to annex the West Bank, a delegate with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

The UAE's position on Trump's Gaza peace plan was communicated to Netanyahu by its Foreign Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, in a meeting with the Israeli leader on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Friday, the delegate said.