The United States President, Donald Trump, and Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, called on Hamas on Monday to accept a fresh peace proposal, which the White House said was the Gaza peace plan.
According to official sources, Trump and Netanyahu met on Monday to discuss what they call a ‘20-point plan’ to end the war in Gaza.
Trump demanded Hamas accept the peace plan, while Netanyahu threatened to “finish the job” if they didn’t.
The Gaza war and Israeli conduct in the occupied territory have been questionable according to international order and the rule of law. With thousands killed and the Palestinian population facing hunger and famine, world leaders have been vocal in calling out Israel to put an end to the war.
The news of a fresh ceasefire proposal, therefore, has been received with warm gestures by the international community, including the Western world and Muslim-majority nations.
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Germany, France and the UK have welcomed the latest ceasefire proposal, with German foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, describing the peace proposal as a “unique opportunity” for the people in Gaza suffering because of fierce fighting, cruel captivity and unimaginable humanitarian distress.
He urged the militant group Hamas to accept the plan, and appealed to anyone with influence over the group to press it to act. “This chance must not be wasted. Hamas must seize it,” he said.
Meanwhile, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, a strong advocate of the two-state solution in the region and a vocal critic of the Israeli government, wrote on his X handle that Hamas had “no choice but to immediately release all hostages and follow this plan.”
Similar expressions were shared by the UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, after he called on “all sides to come together” and work with the US to finalise the agreement and bring it to reality.
“Hamas should now agree to the plan and end the misery by laying down their arms and releasing all remaining hostages,” Starmer added.
Italian Prime Minister, Georgia Meloni, who faced massive domestic backlash for not recognising the state of Palestine, said in her post on X, that “all parties must seize this opportunity and accept the peace plan to end the humanitarian crisis affecting Gaza”, which she said was “utterly unjustifiable and an unacceptable tragedy”.
In the Muslim-majority world, nations issued a joint statement that was shared by the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt, appreciating Trump’s “leadership and sincere efforts to end the war in Gaza” while asserting their “confidence in his ability to find the path to peace”.
The ministers also welcomed the US President’s vows to “rebuild Gaza, prevent the displacement of the Palestinian people and not allow the annexation of the West Bank”.
Hamas, which remains the major fighting group in Gaza, has yet to respond to the peace proposal.
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