Live Updates: Trump and Netanyahu Meeting to Discuss Gaza Plans

Here’s what’s happening:

• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and President Trump met on Monday at the White House, where they discussed the latest U.S.-backed plans for postwar Gaza.

• A longtime champion of Israel, Mr. Trump has voiced impatience with the war and has said he “will not allow” Israel to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.

• In previous negotiations, Mr. Netanyahu has rejected compromise and opted to press on with the war against Hamas. Hamas said it was not consulted on the latest cease-fire proposals.

Recent Developments:

A delegation of Qatari officials is currently in Washington, working towards a potential deal between Israel and Hamas to end the conflict in Gaza. This sensitive diplomatic effort involves anonymous officials discussing progress. Qatar, alongside Egypt, has been a pivotal mediator in the war. Following an Israeli strike targeting Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital in September, questions arose about Qatar’s continued role in mediation.

Hamas leaders assert they have not reviewed the peace plan being finalized by Israel, the United States, and Arab nations. Their core demands appear to clash with the proposals, as Hamas refuses to disarm and rejects any international governance of Gaza. Taher al-Nounou, a senior Hamas official, stated in an interview that his group was not part of the negotiations and would not agree to demilitarize as Israel demands.

Tony Blair emerges as a potential figure in Gaza’s postwar reconstruction.

Tony Blair, the former British prime minister, is being considered for a significant role in Gaza’s reconstruction efforts.

He has been advocating for the establishment of a Gaza International Transitional Authority, a U.N.-mandated body backed by a multinational security force. This authority would aim to stabilize the war-torn region, prevent the re-emergence of armed groups, halt weapons smuggling, and neutralize threats. Blair himself is now a candidate to lead this transitional authority.

For Mr. Blair, the Middle East has been a consistent, albeit challenging, area of focus throughout his career post-Downing Street. He previously served for eight years as an envoy for the Quartet (composed of the United States, United Nations, European Union, and Russia), an initiative that saw limited success in brokering peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

His appointment to the Quartet in 2007 was controversial due to his support for President George W. Bush’s war in Iraq and his close ties with Israel, which fostered distrust among many Palestinians.

However, Mr. Blair has also fostered close relationships with Arab leaders, including those in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, through his nonprofit, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. He has defended these relationships, even after concerns regarding the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, and the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. In a 2024 interview, Blair emphasized that while disapproval of such actions remains, engagement with Saudi Arabia is vital due to the immense and positive implications of its social transformation for regional security and the wider Middle East. These normalization talks between Saudi Arabia, the U.S., and Israel have since been paused by the Gaza conflict.

President Trump personally welcomed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to the White House. Trump reportedly praised Netanyahu’s appearance and expressed strong confidence to reporters that peace would be achieved in Gaza.

Families of Israeli hostages are fervently hoping that the meeting between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump will lead to the immediate release of their loved ones. While many hostages have been repatriated, an estimated 20 individuals remain captive from the 2023 Hamas-led attack that initiated the war. These families are urging Trump to compel Netanyahu to accept a deal if necessary, fearing that ongoing Israeli operations in Gaza City could endanger the lives of the remaining hostages. Ilana Gritzewsky, a freed hostage whose partner, Matan, is still held, implored this week, “President Trump, you have the power to end the war and bring all the hostages home.”

Will the Palestinian Authority play a role in Gaza’s future?

As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump met, new proposals for ending the Gaza war and its post-conflict governance are circulating. A key question is the potential role of the Palestinian Authority.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank and views itself as the legitimate government for a future Palestinian state.

What is the Palestinian Authority?

Established in 1994 by the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the PA was intended as an interim administration towards an independent Palestinian state. It manages civilian affairs in Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank and collaborates with Israel on security, though relations have often been tense.

Mahmoud Abbas, the PA’s president, accused Israel of “war crimes” in Gaza during a video address to the U.N. General Assembly last week. He spoke virtually because the Trump administration denied entry visas to him and his delegation, citing national security concerns.

Who is Mahmoud Abbas?

Mr. Abbas, 89, has led the Palestinian Authority since 2005. Though initially elected for a four-year term, Palestinian national elections have not been held since 2006. Critics view his administration as corrupt and authoritarian, and recent polls indicate a majority of Palestinians desire his resignation. Israeli officials have also long accused the PA of mismanagement and fostering anti-Israel sentiment, with Mr. Netanyahu declaring it “corrupt to the core” in his recent U.N. address.

Conversely, supporters argue the PA’s corruption is no worse than other Arab governments, and that the Israeli occupation impedes its effectiveness.

What does recognition of a Palestinian state mean?

This month, several countries, including Israeli allies France, Britain, and Canada, formally recognized Palestinian statehood. This adds to nearly 150 nations that have or are expected to grant such recognition. This largely symbolic move for Palestinian self-determination has further isolated Israel. Both Israel and its U.S. allies oppose this recognition, deeming it a reward for Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza and initiated the 2023 attack on Israel.

Hamas and the Palestinian Authority are long-standing rivals for Palestinian leadership. Angered by international endorsements of Palestinian statehood, Israeli officials have hinted at annexing parts of the occupied West Bank in retaliation. However, Mr. Trump stated last week he would not permit this.

What role could the Palestinian Authority play in a postwar Gaza?

Achieving an end to the Gaza war faces significant hurdles, with Israel and Hamas deeply divided on key issues. Israel’s ground offensive to seize Gaza City has intensified fighting in recent weeks.

Mr. Abbas views Gaza as an integral part of a future Palestinian state and stated last week his government’s willingness to assume responsibility for the enclave. He pledged that Hamas would have no role in Gaza’s governance after the war.

Among several new proposals for ending the conflict and overseeing the territory, one suggests a limited governance role for the Palestinian Authority. However, due to criticisms of the PA’s corruption, this plan calls for substantial reforms, particularly in its security practices. Another proposal, the New York declaration, advocates for postwar Gaza to be governed by a transitional committee under the PA, with elections held within a year of a cease-fire.

Hamas reported on Sunday that mediators have not presented any new proposals, and cease-fire negotiations remain stalled.

What is the Palestinian Authority’s relationship with Hamas?

A deep-seated animosity has long separated the Palestinian Authority and Hamas. Hamas won Palestinian legislative elections in 2006, narrowly defeating Mr. Abbas’s Fatah movement. The following year, Hamas violently expelled the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority from the Gaza Strip, establishing full control.

Numerous reconciliation attempts between the factions have failed. Mr. Abbas has condemned the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, stating that Palestinians desire a modern state and a peaceful transfer of power. He maintains there is no place for an armed Hamas in this vision and has urged the group to disarm.

Hamas, however, has rejected Mr. Abbas’s assertion of no role for them in Gaza’s future government, calling it an “infringement on our Palestinian people’s inherent right to self-determination.” Hamas also insists it will not lay down its weapons “as long as the occupation continues.”

Ephrat Livni contributed reporting.

As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel meets with President Trump to discuss the future of Gaza, he is facing pressure from his right-wing coalition partners to take a hard line. Bezalel Smotrich, the Israeli government’s far-right finance minister, said on Monday that he had conveyed several “red lines” to Netanyahu, including a permanent Israeli military presence in Gaza and no involvement in Gaza for the internationally backed Palestinian Authority, the organization that administers part of the West Bank and considers itself the rightful government of a future Palestinian state. Smotrich’s demands could complicate reaching an accord that is acceptable to Israel, the United States, and their Arab partners, let alone Hamas.

Netanyahu’s critics say he has often choosen to satisfy his right-wing allies rather than reach a realistic cease-fire deal with Hamas to free the remaining hostages in Gaza. Netanyahu disputes that allegation.

New ideas are emerging to end the war in Gaza and govern after the conflict.

As President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel prepare to meet at the White House on Monday, several new proposals to end the fighting in Gaza and govern the territory are under discussion.

This year’s U.N. General Assembly was dominated by debate about the conflict and the future of the embattled territory. At the end of the sessions last week, President Trump sounded optimistic on reaching a deal to end the war.

But he has made similar pronouncements before, and any effort to stop the fighting still faces significant obstacles. Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas remain at odds over a number of central points, and fighting has intensified in recent weeks with an Israeli ground offensive to take over Gaza City.

Speaking at the United Nations on Friday, Mr. Netanyahu sounded determined to press ahead with the Gaza City campaign. Hamas said on Sunday that it had not received any new proposals from the mediators and that negotiations are at a standstill.

These are some of the latest plans to end the war, set up a new system of postwar governance and address the devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The Trump plan

Steve Witkoff, the U.S. envoy for peace missions, laid out the broad outlines of an American peace plan in a meeting with leaders of Arab and Muslim-majority countries at the U.N. last week.

Under the plan, Hamas would agree to return all living hostages and remains of former captives within 48 hours of the agreement, according to an Arab official and another person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive issues. Hamas members who commit to peaceful coexistence with Israel will be granted amnesty under the proposal, and those who want to leave will be guaranteed safe passage out of Gaza, the person familiar with the matter said. The Times of Israel reported earlier on the elements of the proposal.

The American proposal also includes a commitment from both sides to begin a new dialogue on peaceful coexistence, and a pledge that Israel will launch no further attacks on Qatar, according to a senior White House official.

Qatar, an important U.S. ally, has played a central role as mediator in negotiations to end the Gaza war alongside Egypt. Israel launched airstrikes on the Qatari capital, Doha, on Sept. 9 in a failed effort to assassinate a group of Hamas officials — a strike that angered U.S. officials.

But whether Mr. Trump can bring the war to an end will probably depend on how much he is willing to push Mr. Netanyahu, who has adamantly refused to back off his military campaign until Israel achieves its goals. He has also grown more defiant as multiple Western countries last week recognized a Palestinian state.

In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Mr. Netanyahu said Israel and the United States were still drawing up the plan, and that he did not want to discuss the details yet to avoid pre-empting those conversations.

“We’re working on it; it’s not been finalized yet,” he said. “I hope we can make it a go.”

The Blair plan

One proposal calls for Gaza to be governed by an entity it calls the Gaza International Transitional Authority. Tony Blair, the former British prime minister, may be considered for a role overseeing Gaza after the fighting ends, according to three people familiar with the matter.

The Transitional Authority would be backed by a multinational security force, which would provide security at border crossings and “prevent the resurgence of armed groups, disrupt weapons smuggling and neutralize asymmetric threats,” according to a version of the proposal viewed by The Times.

The Blair proposal also addresses Palestinian fears of permanent displacement from Gaza. It says the Transitional Authority would be empowered to issue “protected departure certificates” so that people who wish to leave Gaza will be guaranteed the right to return to their homes in the future.

The version of the proposal viewed by The Times did not mention Hamas, which led the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that ignited the Gaza war. But it did say the Palestinian Authority, a rival government to Hamas that administers parts of the West Bank, would have a limited role in governing Gaza. The Authority is more moderate than Hamas and cooperates with Israel on security.

Israeli officials have long criticized the Palestinian Authority, accusing it of corruption, mismanagement and fomenting hostility toward Israel. This proposal calls for significant reforms to the Authority, including its security practices.

It adds that the proposed Transitional Authority and the Palestinian Authority should make decisions “consistent with the eventual unifying of all the Palestinian territory under the” Palestinian Authority.

The French-Saudi plan

A third proposal, which gained the support of 142 countries at the General Assembly, is a plan known as the New York declaration, an effort led by France and Saudi Arabia.

It calls for Israel to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and an international security force organized by the U.N. to step in. Hamas would be banned from governing Gaza and would agree to hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority.

The proposal calls for postwar Gaza to be governed by a transitional committee made up of technocrats that would operate under the umbrella of the Palestinian Authority. The authority would agree to hold elections within a year of the cease-fire.

Maggie Haberman contributed reporting.