Trump, Israel back plan to end war in Gaza, but Hamas’s response is unclear : NPR

Michel Martin, host:

President Trump met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday in the White House. He announced a plan to end the war in Gaza, but Trump says that the plan goes beyond the end of this war.

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President Donald Trump: I’m not just talking about Gaza. Gaza is one thing, but we are talking about far beyond Gaza. The entire agreement – everything is resolved. This is called Peace in the Middle East. So today is a historic day for peace.

A Martínez, host:

This is the first time that Trump has ended the end of the War of Israel in Gaza and what the 2 million Palestinians in the territory will look like the day after the October 7 attack led by Hamas against Israel.

Martin: Coming now to explain the plan is the international NPR correspondent, Aya Batrawy, who is in Dubai. Aya, hello. Thank you for joining us.

Aya Batrawy, Byline: Good Morning, Michel.

Martin: Could you therefore start with the most important points of this plan? What are they?

Batrawy: This plan would therefore start with the release of all the Israeli hostages held in Gaza – the 20 that would be alive and the bodies of those who were killed. And this would happen in the first 72 hours of a ceasefire. Then, hundreds of humanitarian aid trucks – food, medicine, tents – would start to flood Gaza daily, reversing an artificial famine that was declared by experts due to Israeli restrictions. And also, Israel would release around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and all women and children held in Israeli prisons since October 7. Israel would also release several hundred bodies of Palestinians he has.

Martin: What was the reaction of Israel and Hamas?

Batrawy: Well, it is not the ultimate victory over Hamas that Netanyahu and its far -right coalition do not wish the complete occupation of Gaza and the continuation of the war. But Netanyahu tries to sell this as a major victory for Israel. Listen to him to speak with Trump in the White House yesterday.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: I support your plan to end the war in Gaza, which achieves our war objectives. He will bring back to Israel all our hostages, will dismantle the military capacities of Hamas and his political rule and ensure that Gaza never represents a threat to Israel again.

Batrawy: And this plan, Michel, allows Israel to keep boots on the ground in a large part of Gaza in the predictable future, and this is where Hamas will react. Hamas should release all hostages in advance in one go without a clear calendar for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Hamas will also have to quote, “decomposition” its weapons as part of this plan. But Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza insist that it is the right of Palestinians to armed resistance under occupation.

Martin: The plan also calls for Arab forces on the ground to maintain security and form the Palestinian police. How did these countries reacted to the plan?

Batrawy: Well, the Arab states and Turkey have published a joint declaration welcoming Trump’s plan, which puts pressure on Hamas. This war has deeply destabilizing for the region, Michel. He left Gaza in ruins with more than 66,000 people killed by Israeli fire there, a third, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. It was also this month that Israel bombed Qatar. And yesterday, Netanyahu should have called the Qatari Prime Minister and express his regret and apologize for this attack.

Now the Trump plan has unanswered questions. He would see Trump presiding over an international expert advice which oversees a transitional organization for Gaza, but we do not know who these experts would be and how they will be chosen. And the main question is how the Palestinians will be involved in Gaza’s governance? This plan does not say. It also leaves the question of a future Palestinian state unanswered, that the Arab states and many Western countries are now demanding and to which Israel is opposed.

Look, there was no celebration in Gaza yesterday when it was announced. And the plan clearly indicates, however, that no one will be forced to leave Gaza and Israel will not annex the territory. But in the end, Trump clearly said yesterday that if Hamas does not agree, Israel would have his support to do what he wants in Gaza.

Martin: It’s Aya Batrawy from NPR to Dubai. Aya, thank you.

Batrawy: Thank you, Michel.

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