by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel now stands at a “historic crossroad” for a dramatic expansion of peace accords with Arab nations, following a reported agreement with U.S. President Donald Trump on a vision to end the war in Gaza and usher in a new era of regional normalization.
“We fought valiantly against Iran — and achieved a great victory,” Netanyahu declared. “This victory opens up an opportunity for a dramatic expansion of the peace agreements. We are working hard on this… there is a window of opportunity here that must not be missed. Not even a single day can be wasted.”
According to a detailed report by Israel Hayom, the two leaders spoke by phone earlier this week following U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, agreeing to wrap up Israel’s 20-month war in Gaza within two weeks. Under the reported plan, Hamas would release the remaining 50 hostages, its leadership would go into exile, and a coalition of Arab states–potentially including the UAE and Egypt–would assume joint administrative control over Gaza.
The proposal also includes broader geopolitical shifts: Saudi Arabia and Syria would establish diplomatic ties with Israel under an expanded Abraham Accords framework. In exchange, Israel would offer conditional support for a future two-state solution–dependent on Palestinian Authority reforms–while the U.S. would recognize Israeli sovereignty over portions of the West Bank.
Netanyahu’s office swiftly denied the Israel Hayom account, stating, “The conversation described in the article did not take place,” and “Israel was not presented with the political proposal supposedly described, and it obviously did not agree to it.”
Yet multiple Israeli media outlets confirmed the contours of the Trump-Netanyahu vision are gaining traction behind the scenes. A senior Israeli official told Kan News that Trump’s recent Truth Social post demanding an end to Netanyahu’s corruption trial was part of a broader strategic campaign. “It is part of a larger move that is meant to bring an end to the war in Gaza, the release of all the hostages, an end to Netanyahu’s trial, and a serious regional move,” the official said.
According to Channel 12, Netanyahu’s lawyer recently attempted to negotiate a plea bargain, adding further fuel to speculation that political and judicial considerations are being folded into a wider regional calculus.
U.S. officials have not confirmed the exact details of the reported deal, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt acknowledged Thursday that Netanyahu is seeking a visit to Washington to celebrate the U.S.-Israel operation against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Trump is said to be open to the meeting, though no date has been finalized.
The broader peace plan hinges on difficult compromises. Hamas has so far rejected exile for its leadership, and Arab nations have long insisted they will not assist in Gaza’s rehabilitation without Israeli consent for Palestinian Authority involvement–a demand Netanyahu has consistently rebuffed. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned Thursday that any movement toward a Palestinian state is a “red line,” stating, “You have no mandate. Not even for a hint or lip service.”
Despite the denials and hurdles, pressure is mounting in Israel. President Isaac Herzog on Thursday echoed calls for a diplomatic breakthrough, urging Netanyahu to use the momentum from the Iran operation to secure a hostage deal. “Send all the teams… keep working in every way and with all your might until they return to us,” Herzog said at the funeral of Ofra Keidar, one of the hostages whose body was recovered this week.
Families of the remaining hostages echoed the urgency. “There’s this amazing success that Israel just had in Iran, and we need to leverage that,” said Dalia Cusnir-Horn, whose brother-in-law is still held in Gaza.
Yet negotiations remain stalled. Talks in Cairo mediated by Palestinian-American activist Bishara Bahbah have made little headway, as Hamas refuses further engagement unless Israel sends a high-level delegation. Israel, meanwhile, appears to be holding back until it can gauge whether the Iran strikes have softened Hamas’s position.
With 50 hostages still held–at least 20 believed alive–both the military and political clocks are ticking. Whether the region is on the cusp of a transformative peace or another round of deadlock remains to be seen. But in the words of Netanyahu, “Not even a single day can be wasted.”
While many call for peace through a two-state solution, prophecy teachers often highlight a sobering warning from the book of Joel: the nations are brought to judgment because they “divided” the land (Joel 3:2) — a land God explicitly gave to the descendants of Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 26:1-6; Genesis 28:13-14; Genesis 25:10-12; Psalms 105:8-11 ) For those attuned to biblical prophecy, how this pursuit of peace unfolds carries deep and potentially dramatic prophetic significance. This is further underscored by Jesus’ command to “learn the parable of the fig tree” widely understood as a symbol of Israel. Just as the fig tree produces early fruit in the spring and ripens fully by the fall harvest, prophecy watchers see a pattern: Israel’s modern rebirth and eventual spiritual harvest align with God’s redemptive timeline. The budding of the fig tree signals that the season is near, calling us to be alert to the times.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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