APPLENEWS - STORY ADD

Government shutdown updates: Leavitt says Trump exploring cutting aid to Portland

"We will not fund states that allow anarchy," she told reporters.

The federal government remains closed amid a bitter impasse on Capitol Hill over competing congressional spending bills.

President Donald Trump and Republicans have cast blame for the shutdown on Democrats' health care demands, while Democrats insist Republicans need to negotiate.

The Trump administration has threatened mass layoffs of some federal workers during the shutdown.


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Trump and Netanyahu leave without taking questions

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not take questions at the end of their remarks.

"I think while we wait for these documents to be signed and get everybody in line, I think it maybe is not really appropriate to take questions," Trump said.

After Trump asked the prime minister if he wanted to take a question or two from a "friendly Israeli reporter," Netanyahu also declined, saying, "I would go by your instinct -- we'll have enough time for questions. Let's settle the issue first."

The two shook hands before leaving the room.


If Hamas rejects plan, 'Israel will finish the job by itself,' Netanyahu says

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that if Hamas rejects the plan or accepts it and then does "everything to counter it," then "Israel will finish the job by itself.

"This can be done the easy way, or it can be done the hard way, but it will be done," Netanyahu said. "We prefer the easy way, but it has to be done."


Netanyahu says he supports Trump's plan to end war in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benajmin Netanyahu said he supports President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza, saying this is a "critical step" to ending the conflict.

"You've proven time and again what I've said many times -- you are the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House," Netanyahu said to Trump during the press conference.

"When our two countries stand shoulder to shoulder, we achieve the impossible," Netanyahu added

Netanyahu said if Hamas agrees to the plan, the "first step" will be a "modest withdrawal" from Gaza and the "release of all our hostages within 72 hours."


Trump calls on Hamas to accept proposal

Near the end of his remarks, President Donald Trump called on Hamas to accept what he called his "extremely fair" proposal.

"Everybody who wants to see an end to the violence and destruction should be united in calling for Hamas to accept the extremely fair proposal so that we can end the war and get us back our hostages right now and have everlasting peace," he said.

Among the new details in Trump's plan, it requires Hamas to disarm gradually and requires the IDF to gradually withdraw but leaves them in control of the Philadelphi corridor and the established buffer zone. It also leaves a role for the Palestinian Authority -- after reforms -- to take part in running Gaza and leaves the option open for future Israeli-Palestinian negotiations for Palestinian statehood.