ISLAMABAD: The 20 points that US President Donald Trump announced this week under his plan to end the war in Gaza were not in line with a draft presented to him by a group of Muslim-majority countries, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday (Oct 3).
The group had proposed a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza during a Sep 22 meeting with Trump, whereas his plan envisages a partial Israeli pullback to prepare for a release of remaining hostages held by Palestinian Hamas militants.
“I have made it clear that these 20 points which Trump has made public are … not the same as ours. I say that some changes have been made in it, in the draft we had,” Dar said in remarks to Pakistani lawmakers.
PLAN TO END WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS MILITANTS
Trump on Monday published a 20-point blueprint for ending the war between Israel and Hamas under which all hostages, living and dead, would be returned within 72 hours of a ceasefire. It refers to a redeveloped “New Gaza” in future.
The plan leaves many details for negotiators to hash out and hinges on acceptance by Hamas, which killed over 1,200 people in its Oct 7, 2023 attack on Israel and took 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza has killed over 66,000 Palestinians and widely demolished the small enclave, according to Gaza health authorities.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had earlier welcomed Trump’s plan. Sharif while in transit had given a general response to Trump’s broader social media post, Dar said.
Trump unveiled his plan a week after meeting leaders of eight Muslim nations – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Türkiye, Indonesia and Pakistan – to discuss the situation in Gaza.
The Trump administration wants Arab and Muslim countries to agree to send military forces to Gaza to enable Israel’s withdrawal and to secure funding for transition and rebuilding programmes, Axios reported.
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