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  • 5 months ago
With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by his side, President Donald Trump unveiled an ambitious plan for securing and redeveloping the Gaza Strip and placing it under control of an international transitional government overseen by a board led by Trump himself, as well as former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, who has been part of talks between Palestinians and Israelis for decades.

The plan, which would remake one of the world’s most fraught territories and bring it under Trump’s control, was light on details and had not yet been accepted by the leaders of Hamas—a major hurdle. “We are at a minimum very very close and I think we are beyond very close,” he said.

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00:00So this is a big, big day, a beautiful day, potentially one of the great days ever in
00:07civilization.
00:10Things that have been going on for hundreds of years and thousands of years.
00:15We're going to, at least we're at a minimum, very, very close, and I think we're beyond
00:20very close.
00:21Prime Minister Netanyahu and I have just concluded an important meeting on many vital issues,
00:27including Iran, trade, the expansion of the Abraham Accords.
00:34And most importantly, we discussed how to end the war in Gaza.
00:39But it's just a part of the bigger picture, which is peace in the Middle East.
00:46And let's call it eternal peace in the Middle East.
00:48I want to thank the leaders of many Arab and Muslim nations for their tremendous support
00:53in developing the proposal along with many of our allies in Europe.
00:59Europe has been very much involved.
01:01And as I was called by many of the European leaders, most of them saying, is this true?
01:07Are you really doing peace in the Middle East?
01:09This is the most incredible thing we've heard.
01:12Some think it's the biggest thing they've ever heard.
01:14I also want to thank Prime Minister Netanyahu for agreeing to the plan and for trusting that
01:20if we work together, we can bring an end to the death and destruction that we've seen
01:25for so many years, decades, even centuries, and begin a new chapter of security, peace and
01:31prosperity for the entire region.
01:33And if accepted by Hamas, this proposal calls for the release of all remaining hostages immediately,
01:41but in no case more than 72 hours.
01:45So the hostages are coming back.
01:48And I hate even saying this from the standpoint, doesn't sound right, but it is so important
01:55to the parents, the bodies of the young men, I believe in almost all cases, the young men,
02:04are coming back immediately.
02:06And it means the immediate end to the war itself, not just Gaza, it's the war itself.
02:14Under the plan, Arab and Muslim countries have committed, and in writing, in many cases,
02:21but I actually would take their word for it.
02:23The people I mentioned, I take their word for it.
02:25To demilitarize Gaza, and that's quickly.
02:31Decommission the military capabilities of Hamas and all other terror organizations.
02:38Do that immediately.
02:40And we're relying on the countries that I named and others to deal with Hamas.
02:46And I'm hearing that Hamas wants to get this done, too, and that's a good thing.
02:52But I hope that we're going to have a deal for peace.
02:57And if Hamas rejects the deal, which is always possible, they're the only one left.
03:03Everyone else has accepted it.
03:05But I have a feeling that we're going to have a positive answer.
03:09But if not, as you know, Bibi, you'd have powerful backing to do what you would have to do.
03:15My plan calls for the creation of a new international oversight body.
03:20The Board of Peace, we call it.
03:22The Board of Peace.
03:23Sort of a beautiful name.
03:24The Board of Peace, which will be headed, not at my request, believe me.
03:32I'm very busy.
03:33But we have to make sure this works.
03:37The leaders of the Arab world and Israel and everybody involved asked me to do this.
03:43So we'll be headed by a gentleman known as President Donald J. Trump of the United States.
03:49I don't want some extra work to do, but it's so important that I'm willing to do it.
03:56The next step will be the establishment of an international body charged with fully disarming
04:01Hamas and demilitarizing Gaza.
04:04I appreciate your willingness to lead the body, Mr. President.
04:11I really appreciate it because you have a lot of things to do, and this is important.
04:15And it reflects the confidence that this will give everyone that things will be followed
04:21up on all the commitments made.
04:24The fact that you're taking this on, I think, helps a lot to make sure that everything flows
04:28in the direction that we want.
04:30Now, if this international body succeeds, we will have permanently ended the war.
04:35But if Hamas rejects your plan, Mr. President, or if they supposedly accept it and then basically
04:45do everything to counter it, then Israel will finish the job by itself.
04:52This can be done the easy way, or it can be done the hard way.
04:59But it will be done.
05:01We prefer the easy way, but it has to be done.
05:06Thank you, sir.
05:07We appreciate it.
05:08That's the main part.
05:11Thank you, Mr. President.
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