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US president says Israel has ‘full backing’ of US to take steps to defeat Hamas if it doesn’t accept proposed peace deal.

Published On 29 Sep 202529 Sep 2025

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United States President Donald Trump says “we’re beyond very close” to ending the war in Gaza after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.

He called Monday a “historic day for peace” as he spoke at a news conference with Netanyahu at his side.

Netanyahu praised Trump, saying: “I support your plan to end the war in Gaza, which achieves our war aims.”

It was not immediately clear if Hamas leaders had accepted Trump’s plan, but the US president said he was “hearing that Hamas wants to get this done too”.

Trump said “everyone else has accepted it” but added that if Hamas fails to agree to the plan “as you know, Bibi, you’d have our full backing to do what you would have to do.” Bibi is Netanyahu’s nickname.

Trump said: “Prime Minister Netanyahu was very clear about his opposition to a Palestinian state, … and I understand and respect his position on many things, but what he’s doing today is so good for Israel.”

He noted that a number of allies have “foolishly recognised the Palestinian state, … but they’re really, I think, doing that because they’re very tired of what’s going on.”

In a 20-point peace plan released on Monday, the White House said the US would establish a dialogue between Israel and Palestine and that within 72 hours of Israel accepting the agreement, all Israeli captives would be released.

If both sides agree, the war “will immediately end”, according to the plan.

The White House said Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza and no one will be forced to leave the strip.

Israeli forces would withdraw to agreed-upon lines to prepare for the captive release. Once all Israeli captives are released, Israel would release 250 Palestinians serving life sentences and 1,700 people from Gaza who were detained after the start of the war on October 7, 2023, the plan said.

More to come …