The United States is hopeful that a breakthrough on the war in Gaza could be announced in the coming days, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said Wednesday, as President Donald Trump’s administration promoted a 21-point peace plan to Arab leaders on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
According to Saudi television network Al-Hadath, the proposal calls for the release of all hostages held by Hamas, a permanent ceasefire, the end of the war, and the creation of a civilian governing mechanism in Gaza with the involvement of moderate Arab states and the Palestinian Authority. The report also said the plan envisions a gradual Israeli withdrawal and the entry of international aid.
A diplomatic source told Al-Hadath that Trump’s plan guarantees Gaza will not be occupied. The source said the handover of hostages and the end of Hamas’ rule are the most important elements of the proposal, and that Trump assured Arab leaders the war in Gaza would stop within days.
Witkoff said Trump urged Arab leaders to send forces to Gaza and help fund the initiative, which would provide unrestricted humanitarian aid and exclude Hamas from managing the territory. In return, Al-Hadath reported, Trump pledged not to allow Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex the West Bank or establish settlements in Gaza.
Trump has publicly pressed for a comprehensive deal to free all hostages, rejecting a phased release. Still, Witkoff continues to negotiate with Qatari mediators over a step-by-step agreement that would free 10 living hostages and half of the bodies in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire and further talks.
“I am hopeful, even confident, that in the coming days there will be some kind of breakthrough in Gaza,” Witkoff told reporters. A meeting between Trump and Netanyahu next week is expected to show whether the president will push Netanyahu to accept a gradual deal.
Before Netanyahu left for New York late Wednesday, about 150 protesters gathered at the entrance to Ben Gurion Airport. They were barred from entering the departures hall but carried signs reading “Let the year and its curses end” and chanted “You are the head, you are to blame.” Demonstrators also demanded the release of hostages and an immediate agreement, shouting, “We will not abandon them.”
First published: 21:20, 09.24.25