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U.S. President Donald Trump announced Friday that he believes a deal has been reached to end the war in Gaza, following recent diplomatic discussions with Israel and Arab states.
"I think we have a deal," Trump told reporters at the White House. "It's looking like we have a deal on Gaza, I think it's a deal that will get the hostages back, it's going to be a deal that will end the war."
The announcement comes days after Trump met with Arab and Muslim leaders Tuesday, during which he promised not to allow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex the West Bank, according to six people familiar with the discussion.
Two sources told to POLITICO that Trump was firm on the topic, promising that Israel would not be allowed to absorb the West Bank, which is governed by the Palestinian Authority rather than Hamas. Despite Trump's assurance, one person familiar with the talks noted that a ceasefire to end Israel's nearly two-year war against Hamas was nowhere close to fruition at that time.
Trump and his team presented what they called a white paper outlining the administration's plan to end the war, including the annexation promise and details about governance and postwar security. Special envoy for peace missions Steve Witkoff described the proposal Wednesday as "the Trump 21-point-plan for peace in the Mideast in Gaza," saying it addresses "Israeli concerns and as well, the concerns of all the neighbors in the region."
Muslim leaders attending Tuesday's meeting at United Nations headquarters expressed frustration with Trump's opposition to recognizing a Palestinian state and his continued support of Netanyahu's military campaign. They warned that any Israeli incursion into the West Bank would likely lead to the collapse of the Abraham Accords, the signature foreign policy achievement of Trump's first term that normalized relations between Israel and several Arab nations.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who participated in the meeting, described the discussions as "fruitful" during a Fox News interview Tuesday evening but provided no details. Erdogan is scheduled to meet with Trump again at the White House on Thursday, while Netanyahu will visit the White House on Monday.
The 2020 Abraham Accords were brokered after Israel threatened West Bank annexation and the United Arab Emirates offered to normalize ties in exchange for an Israeli promise not to proceed with such plans.
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