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“If accepted by Hamas, this proposal calls for the release of all remaining hostages immediately. But in no case, more than 72 hours.”
That's US President Donald Trump announcing his 20-point peace plan for Gaza, with the backing of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Following peace talks with Mr Netanyahu in Washington DC, the US President says a deal is "very close".
It comes as part of the plan to end the nearly two year war between Israel and Hamas.
The proposal calls for all remaining hostages to be released by Hamas within 72 hours of Israel accepting the plan.
Mr Netanyahu has declared the plan is a critical step towards both ending the war and setting the stage for what he has described as 'dramatically' advancing peace in the Middle East.
“I support your plan to end the war in Gaza which achieves our war aims. It will bring back to Israel all our hostages, dismantle Hamas' military capabilities and its political rule and ensure Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel.”
Diplomatic sources have told Al Jazeera that Hamas officials in Doha have been informed of the proposal released by the White House and are reviewing it.
So what exactly does the proposal say?
The proposal calls for a ceasefire, a swap of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a staged Israeli withdrawal from the enclave, Hamas disarmament, and a transitional government led by an international body.
The scheme also proposes the immediate delivery of aid to Gaza.
It states Hamas would have no role in governing Gaza, and does not require people to leave Gaza.
The plan also includes a "board of peace" to oversee the proposal's implementation.
“To ensure the success of this effort, my plan calls for the creation of a new international oversight body, the Board of Peace, we call it the Board of Peace, sort of a beautiful name, the Board of Peace, which will be headed not at my request, believe me, I'm very busy. But we have to make sure this works. The leaders of the Arab world and Israel and everybody involved asked me to do this. So it'd be headed by a gentleman known as President Donald J. Trump of the United States.”
Mr Trump says the board will include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
There would also be an international peacekeeping force, led primarily by Arab countries.
Israel's Prime Minister echoes a similar sentiment.
“If this international body succeeds, we will have permanently ended the war. Israel will conduct further withdrawals linked to the extend of disarmament and demilitarisation but will remain in the security perimeter for the foreseeable future.”
There are also plans for the Palestinian Authority eventually to return, after undergoing reforms, to return to power and govern in Gaza.
There is even a potential pathway for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Part of the plan suggests the US would also lead a massive reconstruction effort - a change from President Trump's announcement earlier in the year suggesting the US would take over the Gaza Strip and build a "Riviera of the Middle East".
But the plans are still vague at this stage.
Mr Netanyahu says President Trump's plans are consistent with the five principles his government set for the end of the war and the "day after Hamas".
“All our hostages - those who are alive and those who died - all of them will return home immediately. Hamas will be disarmed, Gaza will be demilitarised. Israel will retain security responsibility including the security perimeter for the near future. And lastly Gaza will have a peaceful civilians administration that is run neither by Hamas nor the Palestinian authority.”
In the meantime, while it remains unclear what the Hamas response will be, Mr Trump says Mr Netanyahu has his full support to do "what he has to do" to the group if they don't agree.
“I'm hearing that Hamas wants to get this done too, and that's a good thing... I have a feeling that we're going to have a positive answer. But if not, as you know Bibi (Netanyahu), you'd have our full backing to do what you would have to do.”
Israel appears in favour of the suggestion.
“But if Hamas rejects your plan Mr President or if they supposedly accept it and then counter it then Israel will finish the job by itself. This could be done the easy way or it could be done the hard way. We prefer the easy way but it has to be done.”
While Hamas has said in the past that it would agree to step back from governing Gaza, the militant group has refused to disarm - something Israel's Prime Minister has demanded for a long-term truce to end the war.
He says since Hamas' October 7 attack, Israel's enemies have "learnt a hard truth".
“Those who attack us pay a heavy price, but those who partner with us advance progress and security for their people.”
Israel has bombarded Gaza since the October attack - a significant escalation in the long-standing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
According to the Israeli government, more than 1,200 people, including an estimated 30 children were killed and over 200 hostages were taken taken since then.
Gaza's Health Ministry has said more than 66,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the latest escalation of the conflict.
Now, Israel is increasingly losing its support from many countries that had been its steadfast allies for a long time.
Back in Israel, protesters have been calling for an end to Israel's genocide on Gaza, and the release of hostages in Gaza.
Among them is Tsipi Haitovksy.
“It looks like finally, finally finally, we have a deal to end the war, the bloody war in Gaza and bring all our people back home. This is very, very good news. President Trump, like he said, is totally committed to bringing peace and prosperity to this region. And this can only start with the ending of the war in Gaza and bringing back all our people.”
World leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime MInister Keir Starmer and countries including Italy, have backed the announcement.
The Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank also welcomed the plan.
But 39 year-old Ibrahim Joudeh told the AFP news agency from his shelter in the so-called humanitarian zone of Al-Mawasi in south Gaza that "it's clear that this plan is unrealistic".
He says "It's drafted with conditions that the US and Israel know Hamas will never accept. For us, that means the war and the suffering will continue".
The Australian government says a US-brokered peace plan offers promise for a ceasefire in Gaza and the return of Israeli hostages.
Former ambassador and now Liberal senator, Dave Sharma, has told Channel Nine that getting Hamas to say yes to the deal will be a challenge - and the influence of countries who have been involved in ceasefire negotiations could prove decisive.
“These outside parties with the most influence on Hamas are Qatar, and then to a lesser extent Turkiye and Egypt. And Trump met with the leaders of all those three countries last week in New York, so they are part of this plan. And the other thing is Hamas, yes - it has to sign its own extinction warrant. But the leaders are being offered amnesty and safe passage out of there - exile if you like. Depending on the level of military pressure they are feeling right now in Gaza City - and bear in mind they've lost a lot of their senior military leadership - that might be an attractive offer for some of them.”
Meanwhile, in an interview with SBS Arabic conducted prior to today's announcement, Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian has said they would back efforts to end the fighting as soon as possible.
"We support any plan that leads to an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The priority is to halt the fighting and allow aid to enter; only then can we consider the days ahead for Gaza."
