Gaza Plan Released by US Includes Significant Changes Requested by Netanyahu in Kushner-Witkoff Meeting

The Gaza ceasefire proposal released by the White House on Monday included significant changes that were requested by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Axios reported on Tuesday.

The Times of Israel also reported that Netanyahu was able to secure key changes to the proposal during a meeting on Sunday with US envoy Steve Witkoff and his top advisor, Jared Kushner. According to Axios, the release of the deal with the changes infuriated Arab officials involved in the negotiations.

At a press conference with Netanyahu, President Trump presented his proposal as something that has been widely accepted by the Arab world, though the deal was significantly different than what the US and a group of Arab and Muslim countries had previously agreed to due to the changes.

The changes were related to two of the most sensitive issues in the negotiations: the disarmament of Hamas and Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza. The new proposal ties Israel’s phased withdrawal from territory to the “demilitarization” of Gaza and the ability of an international force to take over the land.

The proposal also essentially gives Israel and the US a veto over the withdrawal from Gaza by stating the IDF “will withdraw based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed upon between the IDF, ISF, the guarantors, and the US.”

According to The Times of Israel, the initial proposal approved by the Arab countries simply stated that the IDF “will progressively hand over the Gaza territory that [it] occup[ies].” Even after all conditions are met, the new proposal will allow Israel to occupy a perimeter zone until Gaza is “properly secure from any resurgent terror threat.”

While the language could be interpreted as a requirement for a full Israeli withdrawal, Netanyahu has made clear that he does not see it that way. “Now the whole world, including the Arab and Muslim world, is pressuring Hamas to accept the terms that we created together with Trump, to bring back all the hostages — the living and the dead — while the IDF stays in the Strip,” he said in a video statement on Sunday night.

Hamas’s long-standing position has been that it’s willing to release all remaining Israeli captives in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Hamas has also rejected the idea of disarming until the creation of a Palestinian state or a Palestinian force that could replace its armed wing.

While many details need to be worked out, Trump and Netanyahu have framed the proposal as a final offer that must be accepted or Israel will “finish the job” in Gaza. Trump has also made clear he’s willing to continue backing the genocidal war if an agreement isn’t reached. “If Hamas rejects the deal, Bibi you will have our full backing to do what you have to do,” he said on Monday.

Trump said on Tuesday that he will give Hamas “three or four days” to respond to the proposal. “All of the Arab countries are signed up, the Muslim countries all signed up, Israel’s all signed up. We’re just waiting for Hamas, and Hamas is either going to be doing it or not – and if it’s not, it’s going to be a very sad end,” he said.