US President Donald Trump announced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted a proposal to end Israel's war on Gaza on Monday. Trump said the deal is still to be accepted by Hamas.
In a press briefing with the two leaders at the White House that began more than an hour late, Trump said: "We're at a minimum, very, very close. And I think we're beyond, very close" to securing the proposed ceasefire deal for Gaza, calling it "one of the greatest days in civilization".
Much of Trump's speech was peppered with his assertions that the achievement was a "historic first" and that allies had commended his administration's ability to reach a Middle East "peace" deal.
The US president added that there had been "extensive consultation with friends and partners across the region" and that the plan had the support of Arab and Muslim leaders and European allies.
He hailed it as a "new chapter of security, peace and prosperity for the entire region", and heaped praise on the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia, Pakistan and Egypt, whom he had met with last week at the United Nations General Assembly.
