Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday threw his full support behind U.S. President Donald Trump’s new plan to end the war in Gaza, declaring that the proposal “achieves our war aims” and offers a path to lasting security for Israel.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Trump in the White House State Dining Room, Netanyahu said the plan would secure the release of all Israeli hostages, dismantle Hamas’s military structure, and prevent the group from ever regaining political control of Gaza.
“This framework will bring our hostages home, strip Hamas of its weapons, and ensure Gaza can never again threaten Israel,” Netanyahu said.
Under the proposal, the first stage would see what Netanyahu described as “a modest withdrawal” of Israeli forces, followed within 72 hours by the release of all remaining hostages. An international monitoring body would then be tasked with disarming Hamas and overseeing the demilitarisation of the territory.
“If this mechanism succeeds, the war will be permanently over,” Netanyahu added, noting that any further Israeli military pullback would depend on the progress of the disarmament process.
The Israeli leader stated that the plan aligns with five key principles he had previously set for any post-war arrangement. Among them: Israel will maintain security control, including a protective perimeter around Gaza “for the foreseeable future,” and neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority will be allowed to govern the enclave.
“We are giving everyone the opportunity to achieve this peacefully,” Netanyahu said, praising Trump for what he called unwavering support.
“From Jerusalem to Tehran, from the Golan Heights to Gaza, you have proven time and again that you are Israel’s greatest friend in the White House. It’s not even close.”
Trump, who has been working with Arab and Muslim partners to secure regional backing for the plan, hailed Netanyahu’s endorsement as a key step towards ending months of conflict and moving “from war to wider peace in the Middle East.”
Netanyahu backs Trump’s Gaza peace proposal, says plan meets Israel’s war objective