Trump Says Netanyahu Had No Choice But to Back Gaza Ceasefire Plan

Trump told Axios that he is working to finalise the deal in the coming days and repeated his contention that “we are close to a peace agreement in Gaza.” He said he told Netanyahu, “This is your victory — you must agree,” adding that Netanyahu “was agreeable” and “had no choice” when working with him.

Trump, who unveiled a 20-point ceasefire and reconstruction plan for Gaza at a joint press conference with Netanyahu on 29 September 2025 (7 Mehr 1404), said his proposal has been broadly welcomed and that “all countries around the world” supported it. He told Axios that Hamas has “moved a long way” toward acceptance and that the remaining details now need to be finalised.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed since the attacks that began on 7 October 2023.

Trump praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his role in persuading Hamas, saying Erdoğan was “very helpful” and that “he did a great job.” A U.S. official quoted by Axios said Trump told Erdoğan: “I have done a lot for you — now it’s time for you to do this for me.”

Hamas, for its part, issued a statement on 3 October 2025 (11 Mehr 1404) saying it had conditionally accepted parts of Trump’s ceasefire plan. The movement said it agreed to a complete halt to hostilities, a prisoner exchange, and an independent administration for Gaza, while insisting that longer-term issues affecting Gaza’s future and Palestinian rights be discussed within a Palestinian national framework. Hamas said its response followed “extensive internal consultations” with Palestinian factions and regional intermediaries.

Trump responded to Hamas’s conditional reply by urging Israel to “immediately” stop bombing Gaza so that hostages could be released quickly and safely, while cautioning that the operation to free captives remained risky and required detailed planning.

Although Trump has characterised the negotiations as being in a “final stage” and suggested the deal could catalyse broader Middle East peace, the 20-point plan has drawn criticism across the spectrum — from Palestinian groups and human-rights organisations to some Western analysts — who have expressed serious reservations about its provisions and implications.

Observers note that any final agreement will hinge on complex technical, security and political arrangements, including mechanisms for a ceasefire, timelines and guarantees for hostage releases, and a framework for Gaza’s administration and reconstruction.