Trump's new Gaza 'peace' plan presented to Arab, Muslim leaders

White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff attends a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump during the 80th United Nations General Assembly. (Photo/Reuters)

US President Donald Trump has presented a plan to end the Gaza war in a meeting with Arab and Muslim leaders this week, his envoy said, as Gaza’s civil defence agency reported dozens killed in Israeli attacks.

Steve Witkoff, who has been involved in months of mediation, said Trump detailed a "21-point plan for peace in the Mideast and Gaza" during Tuesday’s meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

"We're hopeful, and I might say even confident, that in the coming days we'll be able to announce some sort of breakthrough," Witkoff said.

He added the plan "addresses Israeli concerns as well as the concerns of all the neighbours in the region," without elaborating.

A joint statement from governments represented in the meeting said leaders "reiterated their commitment to cooperate with President Trump, and stressed the importance of his leadership to end the war."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected mounting international recognition of Palestine, including by Australia, Britain, Canada and France.

"The shameful capitulation of some leaders to Palestinian terror does not obligate Israel in any way. There will be no Palestinian state," he said.

Israel’s carnage

On the ground, Gaza’s civil defence said Israeli strikes killed dozens of people on Wednesday, including 22 in a warehouse sheltering displaced people near the Firas market in Gaza City.

Footage showed residents combing through rubble, while women sobbed over bodies wrapped in white shrouds.

Another eight people were reported killed near an aid distribution centre in Khan Yunis, according to Gaza’s civil defence. Israel’s army said it was unaware of the incident.

The Israeli army has pursued a genocide against Gaza since October 2023, killing over 65,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, rejecting international demands for a ceasefire.

The victims do not include some 11,000 Palestinians feared buried under rubble of annihilated homes.

Experts, however, contend that the actual death toll significantly exceeds what the Gaza authorities have reported, estimating it could be around 200,000.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

The UN has concluded that Israel is carrying out genocide in Gaza.

Washington allocates $3.8 billion in annual military funding to its long-standing ally Israel.

Since October 2023, the US has spent more than $22 billion supporting Israel's genocide in Gaza and war in neighbouring countries.

Despite some senior US officials criticising Israel regarding the high civilian death toll in Gaza, Washington has, thus far, resisted calls to place conditions on any arms transfers.

Since 1946, the US has provided over $310 billion in military and economic aid to Israel, adjusted for inflation, according to the American think tank, Council on Foreign Relations.

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Source: TRT