Leaders in Europe were quick to fall in line behind U.S. President Donald Trump’s framework for a peace between Israel and Gaza, while calling on the Islamist Hamas terrorists to promptly agree to Washington’s terms.
On Monday, the White House published a 20-point plan to resolve the Middle East conflict, in which Hamas would release its remaining hostages, give up its arms, and cede control of Gaza. In return, Israel would agree to stop all military operations in Gaza and release around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
While the framework would initially see a Western-backed transitional government established, potentially led by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the deal would also pave the way for the eventual creation of a Palestinian state.
Israel was quick to agree to the terms, while Hamas said that it needed time to review the proposals. Leaders throughout Europe hailed President Trump and the terms of the deal, and urged the Islamist group to accept the peace agreement.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz thanked President Trump “for his persistent commitment” to peace and said that the proposed deal represented the “best chance so far for an end to the war.” Merz urged Hamas to “agree and clear the path to peace” and stated that Berlin was prepared to contribute politically and towards the region’s reconstruction.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who riled feathers in Jerusalem and Washington after he pre-emptively announced that Paris would recognise Palestine as a state, also hailed the Trump administration’s efforts.
“I welcome President Trump’s commitment to ending the war in Gaza and ensuring the release of all hostages. I hope that Israel will engage firmly on this basis. Hamas has no choice but to immediately release all hostages and follow this path,” Macron wrote on X.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who also preemptively recognised Palestine as a state, said in a statement: “The new US initiative to deliver an end to the war in Gaza is profoundly welcome and I am grateful for President Trump’s leadership. We strongly support his efforts to end the fighting, release the hostages and ensure the provision of urgent humanitarian assistance for the people of Gaza. This is our top priority and should happen immediately.
“We call on all sides to come together and to work with the US Administration to finalise this agreement and bring it into reality. Hamas should now agree to the plan and end the misery, by laying down their arms and releasing all remaining hostages.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — who refused to follow Macron and Starmer in recognising Palestine before hostages were released and Hamas laid down its arms — hailed the proposal from Presidetn Trump, saying that it could “represent a turning point in this process, allowing for a permanent cessation of hostilities, the immediate release of all hostages, and full and safe humanitarian access for the civilian population.”
“In this framework, Italy is ready to do its part, in close coordination with the United States, European partners, and those of the Region, and thanks President Trump for his mediation work and his efforts to bring peace to the Middle East,” Meloni wrote.
“Italy, therefore, urges all parties to seize this opportunity and accept the Plan. Hamas, in particular, which started this war with the barbaric terrorist attack of October 7, 2023, now has the possibility to end it by releasing the hostages, accepting that it will have no role in the future of Gaza, and completely disarming.”
Despite the global praise for the proposed deal, it remains a question whether the Islamist Hamas radicals, responsible for the brutal October 7th terror attacks on Israel, are willing to give up control of the Gaza Strip, which they have ruled for nearly two decades.
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