PM Modi Welcomes Donald Trump's Plan To End Gaza Conflict

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday welcomed US President Donald Trump's plan to end the Gaza conflict, saying that it provides a viable path to long-term peace, security and development for the Palestinian and Israeli people, as well as the larger West Asian region.

In an X post after Trump announced the plan in the presence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Modi expressed hope that "all concerned will come together behind President Trump's initiative and support this effort to end conflict and secure peace."

Trump and Netanyahu said on Monday that they have agreed on a plan to end the war in Gaza, but it is unclear whether Hamas will accept the terms. Trump had laid out a 20-point plan to end the Israel-Hamas war and establish a temporary governing board in the war-battered Palestinian territory, which would be headed by Trump and include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

"We welcome President Donald J Trump's announcement of a comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict. It provides a viable pathway to long-term and sustainable peace, security and development for the Palestinian and Israeli people, as also for the larger West Asian region," Modi's post read.

Israel Has Full Backing

Trump said Israel would have the "full backing" of the United States to take steps to defeat Hamas if it doesn't accept the proposed peace deal. "I think we are beyond very close," Trump said at the start of a news conference with Netanyahu where he detailed the plan.

"We're not quite finished. We have to get Hamas." "If Hamas rejects your plan, Mr. President, or if they supposedly accept it and then do everything to counter it, then Israel will finish the job by itself," Netanyahu said. "This can be done the easy way or it can be done the hard way, but it will be done"

The president went on to urge Palestinian people to take responsibility "for their destiny" and embrace his peace proposal. Netanyahu earlier extended a formal apology to his Qatari counterpart for a recent military strike targeting Hamas officials in the Gulf emirate that infuriated Arab leaders and triggered rare criticism by the US of Israel.

Netanyahu made the call to Qatar's prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, as he met with Trump, according to the White House. Trump described the exchange between the Israeli and Qatari leader as a "heart-to-heart" call. "As a first step, Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed his deep regret that Israel's missile strike against Hamas targets in Qatar unintentionally killed a Qatari serviceman," the White House said in a statement.

"He further expressed regret that, in targeting Hamas leadership during hostage negotiations, Israel violated Qatari sovereignty and affirmed that Israel will not conduct such an attack again in the future."

The White House talks, and apology from Netanyahu, come at a tenuous moment. Israel is increasingly isolated, losing support from many countries that were long its steadfast allies. At home, Netanyahu's governing coalition appears more fragile than ever. And the White House is showing signs of impatience.

The question now is whether Trump, who has offered steadfast backing to Netanyahu throughout the war, will change his tone and turn up the pressure on Israel to wind down the conflict. As he welcomed Netanyahu to the White House, Trump responded affirmatively when asked by reporters whether he was confident a deal would be soon reached to end the fighting between Israel and Hamas. "I am. I'm very confident," Trump said.

Netanyahu's apology for strike that angered US ally Israel stuck the headquarters of Hamas' political leadership in Qatar on September 9 as the group's top figures gathered to consider a US proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The strike on the territory of a US ally was a stunning escalation and risked upending talks aimed at winding down the war and freeing hostages. No senior Hamas officials were killed in the strike.