Trump Pushes to Fast-Track Gaza Plan, Citing "Humanitarian Crisis"

U.S. President Donald Trump says he wants to move to the second phase of his administration's Middle East peace plan "as quickly as we can." He made the statement while meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. The first phase of the plan, revealed in January, proposed a path toward a Palestinian state. However, it gave Israel full security control and required major concessions from Palestinians. They rejected it immediately. The second phase is expected to deal with Gaza, a Palestinian territory controlled by the Hamas group. Trump called the current situation in Gaza a "humanitarian crisis." "We have to help the people," Trump said. He did not give a timeline for the next steps. Netanyahu, standing beside Trump, did not comment directly on speeding up the plan. He focused on thanking the U.S. president for recent policy support. The meeting occurred as both leaders face political challenges at home. Observers note that any progress on the U.S. plan would require agreement from Palestinian leaders, who currently refuse to negotiate.