Albanese, Coalition welcome Trump’s Gaza peace plan

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has welcomed US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza, calling on Hamas to agree to the proposal and release all remaining hostages.

“Australia welcomes President Trump’s plan to bring peace to Gaza after almost two years of conflict and a devastating loss of civilian life,” Albanese said in a statement released from Abu Dhabi.

“Australia affirms the plan’s commitment to denying Hamas any role in the future governance of Gaza, and calls on Hamas to agree to the plan, lay down its arms and release all remaining hostages.”

Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Michaelia Cash also welcomed the plan, which was agreed to by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a White House press conference.

“The Coalition welcomes the peace plan for Gaza brokered by US President Trump and agreed to by Prime Minister Netanyahu,” Cash said. “Hamas must promptly release all the remaining Israeli hostages and lay down their weapons. We encourage the Albanese government to back the US plan.”

Albanese commended the plan’s focus on Palestinian self-determination and statehood, with the Palestinian Authority taking back effective control of Gaza.

“President Trump’s plan reflects a clear rejection of annexation and forced displacement of Palestinians,” he said. “We acknowledge the diplomatic efforts to include Palestinian, Arab and other key partners’ views in this plan, as demonstrated by the statements of support from the Palestinian Authority.”

The Prime Minister urged all parties to engage seriously with the plan and work to bring its vision into reality without delay.

Trump announced the 20-point “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict” at the White House alongside Netanyahu, calling it “a historic day for peace”.

“I want to thank the leaders of many Arab and Muslim nations for their tremendous support in developing the proposal, along with many of our allies in Europe,” Trump said. “I also want to thank Prime Minister Netanyahu for agreeing to the plan and for trusting that if we work together, we can bring an end to the death and destruction that we’ve seen for so many years, decades, even centuries.”

Netanyahu said the plan “achieves our war aims” and would bring home all Israeli hostages, dismantle Hamas’s military capabilities and political rule, and ensure Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel.

“I think this can be not only a new beginning for Gaza, I think it can be a new beginning for the entire region,” Netanyahu said.

Under the plan, if accepted by both sides, fighting would immediately end and all remaining hostages would be freed within 72 hours. Hamas members who commit to peaceful coexistence would be given amnesty, while those wishing to leave Gaza would be provided safe passage.

Aid would flow into the enclave, and a process of demilitarising, deradicalising and redeveloping the Strip would begin. A transitional government of Palestinian technocrats would be established alongside an international advisory board chaired by Trump and including former UK prime minister Tony Blair.

A temporary international security force would be deployed and gradually take over from the IDF as it withdraws. The Palestinian Authority would undergo reforms until conditions are in place for “a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood”.

Hamas has yet to respond to the plan, though Qatari news outlet Al Jazeera reported that Qatar and Egypt had conveyed it to the terror group, with the Hamas delegation promising to examine it “responsibly”.

Netanyahu warned that if Hamas rejects the plan or accepts it but works to counter it, “then Israel will finish the job by itself”.

The plan received international support, with Blair saying it “offers us the best chance of ending two years of war, misery and suffering”, while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron also backed the proposal.

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Qatar and Egypt issued a joint statement welcoming Trump’s “sincere efforts” to end the war and expressing confidence in his ability to find a path to peace.

The Palestinian Authority welcomed Trump’s “sincere and determined efforts to end the war on Gaza, and affirms its confidence in his ability to find a path toward peace”.

WITH TIMES OF ISRAEL