Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Manhattan on Wednesday evening to discuss the US president's 21-point plan to end the war in Gaza.
The meeting came just an hour after President Donald Trump declared, following talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that the sides were "very close to a deal in Gaza."
Video: Witkoff and Kushner at Netanyahu's hotel /// Or Shaked
An Israeli official confirmed that intensive discussions are underway over a possible agreement to end the war. Still, he noted, negotiations with the Americans remain unresolved as Israel seeks guarantees that its security interests will be safeguarded. Netanyahu's meeting with Trump on Monday is expected to be critical for securing those guarantees.
Netanyahu arrived in New York ahead of his speech on Friday at the UN General Assembly, but first met Trump's envoys to review the US proposal, which was presented earlier this week to Arab leaders. The plan is designed to bring an end to the war and secure the release of all 48 Israeli hostages still being held by the Hamas terrorist organization.
International force to take control of Gaza
Trump's plan calls for a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and the deployment of an international force inside Gaza. The proposal, presented on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, expands on Witkoff's most recent ceasefire initiative. It outlines who would govern the Gaza Strip after the war ends, with an international oversight body supervising a Palestinian committee to manage Gaza on an interim basis.
Under the plan, IDF forces would redeploy to the positions they held during the temporary truce between January and March before withdrawing entirely once the force is in place. Hamas would have no role in governing Gaza, and the plan explicitly rules out any forced displacement of civilians.
