Trump says 'real chance for greatness in the Middle East'

ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that there is a "real chance for greatness in the Middle East."

"All are on board for something special, first time ever," Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.

"We will get it done," he said.

Following his social media post, Trump told the Axios media outlet: “The Arab countries were fantastic to work with on this. Hamas is coming with them. They have great respect for the Arab world."

"The Arab world wants peace, Israel wants peace, and Bibi wants peace,” Trump said, adding that his goal is to push for peace in the region, rather than just ending the war in Gaza.

Separately, White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday in New York in an effort to bridge the remaining gaps between the US and Israel, a source familiar with the meeting told Axios.

Trump's words followed a multilateral meeting on Tuesday with leaders from several majority-Muslim countries on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly in New York.

The meeting with leaders from Türkiye, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Jordan primarily focused on the Gaza conflict and peace efforts.

Trump presented a 21-point plan aimed at ending the Gaza war, securing hostage releases, and rehabilitating the region under governance excluding Hamas.

The US president also said he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank.

Trump planned to meet separately with Netanyahu on Monday to discuss the proposals.

Even though the Israeli government has not officially commented on it, Trump told Axios that Netanyahu is on board with his plan.

However, Netanyahu has been adamantly opposed to any role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza and reiterated in an interview with Fox News on Sunday that it's a "red line" for him.

The Israeli army has killed over 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and led to starvation and the spread of diseases.