WASHINGTON, DC - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is enthusiastic about the Gaza peace plan finalized on Monday at the White House.

Following negotiations with Netanyahu and his government, and Arab countries in the Gulf, President Trump on Monday put the final touches to his plan before unveiling it publicly.

Astonishingly no Palestinian has taken part in the negotiations, including the Palestinian Authority which rules the West Bank. Hamas at the time of writing has not yet even seen the plan, let alone been consulted on it. Instead it has been given 72 hours to accept it, and if it doesn't concede, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be given a free hand to continue his military campaign, with the full backing of the United States, and incredibly says he will call for an international body to assist Israel in disarming Hamas.

For Mr Netanyahu it is a dream come true. Heaping praise on Mr Trump, he said the pair had 'achieved the impossible.'

"You are the greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House," Mr Netanyahu said, "it's not even close." 

"Your plan to end the war in Gaza achieves our war aims. It will bring back all our hostages, dismantle Hamas' military capabilities, end its political rule, and ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel.," he said. "When our two countries stand shoulder to shoulder, we achieve the impossible," Mr Netanyahu added.

"Your plan is consistent with the five principles my government set for the end of the war and the day after Hamas...," he said.

"Here's our plan. Pass it in the cabinet. All our hostages, alive and dead, will return home. Hamas will be disarmed. Gaza will be demilitarised. Israel will retain security responsibility, including a security perimeter for the foreseeable future. Gaza will have a peaceful civilian administration, run neither by Hamas nor by the Palestinian Authority. If Hamas agrees to your plan, the first step will be a withdrawal, followed by the release of all our hostages within 72 hours," Netanyahu said at a joint press conference with Mr Trump.

He warned that Israel will 'finish the job' by itself in case Hamas rejects the peace plan announced by Trump and called for the establishment of an International body to fully 'disarm' Hamas.

"The next step will be the establishment of an international body charged with fully disarming Hamas and demilitarising Gaza. I appreciate your willingness to lead the body... If this international body succeeds, we will have permanently ended the war... We're giving everybody a chance to do this peacefully... But if Hamas rejects your plan (he says to Mr Trump), or if they accept it and then counter it, then Israel will finish the job by itself. This can be done the easy way or the hard way. But it will be done..."

The Israeli prime minister was full of confidence, particularly with Arab nations on board.

"Arab and Muslim countries have committed in writing to demilitarise Gaza, decommission the military capabilities of Hamas and all other terror organisations immediately... destroy all terror infrastructure, including the tunnels, weapons, and production facilities. They have a lot of production facilities that we're destroying..." Mr Netanyahu said.

President Trump was equally enthusiastic,  "All parties will agree on a timeline for Israeli forces to withdraw in phases... No more shooting, hopefully. As progress is made toward achieving these goals, Arab and Muslim nations need to be allowed the chance to fulfil these commitments of dealing with Hamas... They probably have an understanding... If they're unable to do so, then Israel would have the absolute right and full U.S. backing... Israel will have my fallback to finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas...," the U.S. president said.

"I hope that we're going to have a deal for peace... And if Hamas rejects the deal, which is always possible, they're the only one left. Everyone else has accepted it, but I have a feeling that we're going to have a positive answer," he said. "But if not, as you know, Bibi, you have our full backing to do what you would. The ultimate result must be the elimination of any danger posed in the region. And that danger is caused by Hamas. The tyranny of terror has to end... To ensure the success of this effort, my plan calls for the creation of a new international oversight body, the 'Board of Peace," the president said.

This body will be chaired by Mr Trump himself, and members will include his son-in-law Jared Kushner and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Israeli opposition leaders have rallied around the plan, promising their full support. So too has Israel's President Isaac Herzog. "I welcome the plan and call for its rapid implementation," he said in a statement posted on X.

"I thank President Trump for his leadership and for his steadfast and stalwart support for the State of Israel. I congratulate Prime Minister Netanyahu on this important progress. And I thank all the countries, individuals, and parties taking part in the process who are bringing hope to the peoples of the region," Herzog said.

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