President Donald Trump has told Axios that negotiations over his plan to end the war on Gaza are "at their final stages," contending that a deal could open the way for wider peace in the Middle East.

 

The remarks come as key details of the proposed plan have been revealed, despite other parties offering conflicting accounts of the negotiations.

 

New Push for Peace

"Everybody has come together to get a deal, but we still have to get it done," Trump said. He expressed optimism that the plan could lead to "the first chance for real peace in the Middle East."

 

The "21-point plan" was drafted by White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. It is a combination of several proposals discussed over the last year with ‘Israel’ and other countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, France, and the UK.

 

Key Principles of the Deal

The main principles of the proposed deal are:

 

Captives and Ceasefire: The release of all remaining captives within 48 hours of a ceasefire, followed by a permanent ceasefire.

Withdrawal and Demilitarization: A gradual ‘Israeli’ withdrawal from all of the Gaza Strip and a process for disarming Hamas, which includes destroying all remaining heavy weapons and tunnels.

Prisoner Release: ‘Israel's’ release of around 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 2,000 Palestinians detained in Gaza since Oct. 7.

Post-War Governance: A new governing mechanism in Gaza without Hamas, including an international and Arab board with a Palestinian Authority representative and a technocratic government.

Guarantees: No annexation of the West Bank or Gaza by ‘Israel’; an ‘Israeli’ commitment not to attack Qatar again; and a future credible path for "Palestinian statehood" after the Palestinian Authority undergoes significant reforms.

Sticking Points and Conflicting Narratives

Despite Trump's optimism, ‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News on Sunday that negotiations are ongoing and that the deal has not been finalized. He remains "adamantly opposed" to any role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza, calling it a "red line."

 

Hamas said in a statement Sunday that it has not received any new proposals from mediators and that negotiations have been suspended since the attack on its leaders in Doha three weeks ago.

 

However, the group said it is "ready to study any proposals it receives from the mediators with full positivity and responsibility."