US welcomes Palestinian presidency's support for Trump's Gaza plan

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US State Department on Wednesday said it welcomed Palestinian support for President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan, underscoring Washington’s commitment to ending the war in the Gaza Strip.

"We welcome the Palestinian Presidency’s support for President Trump’s historic 20-Point Peace Plan," the bureau of Near Eastern Affairs said on US social media company X.

"The U.S. remains committed to bringing an end to the war in Gaza and promote peace and stability in the Middle East."

Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff announced Wednesday the start of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan, saying the focus will shift to demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction.

Hussein al-Sheikh, vice president of the state of Palestine, said the presidency welcomes the efforts undertaken by Trump to complete the implementation of his peace plan and to carry out UN Security Council Resolution 2803, including the establishment of the Board of Peace and its executive bodies.

Israel killed more than 70,000 Palestinians in Gaza over a two-year period starting in October 2023. A fragile ceasefire is in place in the enclave for the last three months. The first phase of the plan included the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.