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Federal Prosecutors ‘At Work’ To Bring Charges Against John Bolton

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The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Federal prosecutors are reportedly preparing charges against former Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton, a longtime critic of President Trump, over his handling of classified materials — a move that comes after months of internal resistance from within the Justice Department.

According to CNN’s Katelyn Polantz, prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland met over the weekend to hammer out the details of a potential indictment. Citing unnamed sources, Polantz reported that the Maryland team had initially pushed back against DOJ leadership’s push to charge Bolton, but those objections have now “lifted,” and the team is “at work” on the case.

The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Appearing on CNN’s The Situation Room with anchor Pamela Brown, Polantz explained that the disagreement was “about when to charge” Bolton — suggesting that some inside the DOJ were concerned about timing rather than substance.

“From what I had learned through sources,” Polantz said, “was that the dispute was over timing — whether to charge John Bolton very soon or prepare an indictment very soon to take it through the grand jury, or whether there needed to be more time since those searches of his home and office only took place a couple of weeks ago.”

In late August, FBI agents raided Bolton’s Maryland home and private office, seizing materials reportedly marked “secret,” “confidential,” and “classified,” including documents referencing weapons of mass destruction. Investigators also collected electronics and files labeled “Trump I–IV,” according to court filings.

Bolton — who has been a vocal Trump critic since leaving the administration — has denied any wrongdoing. His attorney, Abbe Lowell, said the items taken were “decades old” and insisted that his client “did nothing inappropriate.”

Trump Awards Charlie Kirk Presidential Medal Of Freedom

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    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    The White House posthumously awarded late political activist Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor

    “Although he was taken from us far too soon, his legacy will inspire generations to come and outlive us all,” “The Charlie Kirk Show” executive producer Andrew Kolvet told Fox News Digital. “He represents the very best of America and is deserving of this and every other possible accolade. Thank you to President Trump for quite literally shifting world events to honor Charlie on what would have been his 32nd birthday.” 

    “Only Charlie could do that,” Kolvet added. 

    Kirk was assassinated Sept. 10 while attending a TPUSA event at Utah Valley University’s campus. The conservative movement leader was sitting under a tent while chatting with students when a shot rang out and struck Kirk in the neck, killing him.

    Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    Trump announced in September that he would posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, calling him “a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty and an inspiration to millions and millions of people.” 

    “I have no doubt that Charlie’s voice and the courage he put into the hearts of countless people, especially young people, will live on,” Trump said Sept. 11 when announcing he would award Kirk the honor. 

    TPUSA’s Chief Operating Officer Tyler Bowyer told Fox Digital that the award ceremony will be felt by every youth who has been involved with the conservative advocacy group. 

    “Charlie will be honored today on behalf of the millions of conservative activists he helped lift up to save the movement and the country. Today in the White House this award will be felt by every young man and young woman who was impacted by his work. They can wear it too by carrying on doing the work,” Bowyer said. 

    David Engelhardt, lead pastor of Kings’ Church New York City and board member of TPUSA, told Fox News Digital that it’s a “profound privilege to be able to witness this moment recognizing Charlie’s courage, conviction, and leadership in defense of faith and freedom.”

    The award ceremony was held at the White House and came on the heels of Trump’s return from the Middle East earlier Tuesday after Trump announced an end to the war in Gaza, which has raged since 2023. 

    House Democrat Says House GOP is Plotting Epstein Revolt Against Trump

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    By Ralph Alswang, White House photographer - https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/clinton-epstein-maxwell/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=143417695

    Are the tides turning against Trump?

    A House Democrat claims that a large swath of House Republicans are planning to go against President Trump to push a vote on sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein’s files.

    Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) claimed that multiple House Republican colleagues informed him that they’re planning a “jail break” revolt of over 100 lawmakers against President Donald Trump if there’s a discharge petition to force a vote on the Jeffrey Epstein files release.

    The long-awaited vote, pushed by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), has been delayed as the House remains in recess amid a government shutdown, but it reportedly has enough signatures to force action once the chamber reconvenes.

    Trump, who urged the release of the Epstein files on the campaign trail, has since dismissed the case as “a hoax” and told supporters not to “waste time” on the matter. This comes amid renewed scrutiny of his association with Epstein after newly released documents included a purported birthday note to the disgraced financier, which he denied writing.

    In a post to X on Wednesday, Swalwell gleefully shared that “Trump’s movement/support is fading” among Republicans and that one GOP lawmaker told him “no [one] wants to defend a pedo-protector.”

    House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is facing growing bipartisan criticism for the voting delay, with critics accusing him of extending the recess to avoid the politically explosive issue.

    “Johnson and the House Republicans care more about protecting the Epstein files than protecting the American people,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

    Johnson dismissed the charge as “totally absurd,” telling NBC’s Meet the Press on Monday that he supports full transparency: “I want every page of this out.”

    Massie lashed out at the recess on Sunday, warning he had “218 votes for the discharge petition.”

    Major Book Publisher Apologizes to Melania Trump for ‘Unverified’ Epstein Claims

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      First Lady Melania Trump participates in the Senate Spouses Luncheon at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, May 21,2025. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

      It’s about time…

      HarperCollins UK issued a formal apology to First Lady Melania Trump on Tuesday and pulled copies of a book about Prince Andrew that repeated an unverified claim that Jeffrey Epstein introduced her to Donald Trump.

      The apology, the third from a major media outlet in recent months, marks an increasingly aggressive push by Melania Trump’s legal team to stamp out any association between her and the disgraced financier.

      The First Lady shared a statement from the publisher on X:

      “We have, in consultation with the author, removed several passages of the book that referenced unverified claims about the First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump,” HarperCollins UK said in the statement. “Copies of the book that included those references are being permanently removed from distribution. HarperCollins UK apologizes to the First Lady.”

      The passages appeared in Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, an unauthorized biography of Prince Andrew, an Epstein associate. Though the book did not allege any wrongdoing by Melania Trump, it claimed Epstein “facilitated” her introduction to her husband. Melania’s representatives repeatedly dismissed the claim as “malicious” and “defamatory.”

      “The true account of how the first lady met President Trump is in her bestselling book, Melania,” a spokesperson said, adding that the couple met at a New York party in 1998 through another guest.

      Trump Administration Delivers Historic Border Security Win — Lowest Apprehensions Since 1970

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      Trump at the border wall via Wikimedia Commons

      The Trump administration has closed fiscal year 2025 with a historic milestone on border security — the lowest U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions in more than five decades, according to preliminary enforcement data released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

      Border agents recorded 237,565 apprehensions in fiscal year 2025 — slightly above the 201,780 apprehensions in 1970 but dramatically below recent levels. The numbers represent an 87% drop compared to the average of the past four fiscal years (1.86 million apprehensions) and showcase what can happen when the federal government finally enforces immigration laws.

      This achievement came even though 72% of this year’s total apprehensions happened during the final 111 days of the Biden administration — before President Trump returned to office and immediately began reversing his predecessor’s “open-border” policies.

      “Fiscal year 2025 shows what happens when we enforce the law without compromise,” said CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott. “For too long, agents and officers were handcuffed by failed policies. Today they are empowered to do their jobs — and the result is the most secure border in modern history.”


      Reversing Biden’s Border Chaos

      When President Trump took office in January 2025, he inherited what many described as a border crisis fueled by Biden’s mass-release policies. In just the first 111 days of the fiscal year, under Biden’s watch, 172,026 apprehensions occurred — nearly three-quarters of the year’s total.

      But once Trump’s immigration directives took effect, the situation changed dramatically. Over the next 254 days, apprehensions plummeted to 65,539 — just 27% of the fiscal year’s total.

      September 2025 alone saw only about 279 apprehensions per day along the Southwest border — a staggering 95% decline compared to the Biden-era daily average of 5,110. It also marked the fifth consecutive month of zero illegal immigrant releases by Border Patrol — a stark contrast to 9,144 releases in September 2024.

      Across all entry points, CBP recorded roughly 26,000 total encounters in September, down 89% from Biden’s monthly averages.


      Strong Action From Day One

      President Trump wasted no time taking decisive action to reestablish border control:

      • Deployed additional personnel to the southern border.
      • Ended “catch-and-release”, ensuring illegal migrants are no longer released while awaiting hearings.
      • Shut down Biden’s CBP One app parole loophole, later repurposing the app to help migrants self-deport.
      • Paused parole programs and authorized ICE to cancel parole statuses.
      • Ordered strict enforcement of existing immigration laws, restoring morale and authority to frontline border agents.

      These policies stand in sharp contrast to Biden’s approach, which relied on controversial “parole” programs and insisted on new legislation instead of acting on existing laws.

      Gov. JB Pritzker Claims President Trump Deploying Troops To Chicago Due To ‘Dementia’

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      Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

      The gloves are off…

      Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday accused President Trump of deploying National Guard troops to the Democrat cities of Chicago and Portland based on fixations that stem in part from his being mentally impaired.

      “This is a man who’s suffering dementia,” Pritzker said in a telephone interview with the Tribune. “This is a man who has something stuck in his head. He can’t get it out of his head. He doesn’t read. He doesn’t know anything that’s up to date. It’s just something in the recesses of his brain that is effectuating to have him call out these cities.

      “And then, unfortunately, he has the power of the military, the power of the federal government to do his bidding, and that’s what he’s doing.”

      During the interview, Pritzker — who has been one of Trump’s harshest critics and is a potential 2028 presidential Democrat candidate — said the courts will play an integral role in challenging Trump’s efforts in Illinois and across the nation.

      “We’re not going to go to war between the state of Illinois and the federal government, not taking up arms against the federal government,” Pritzker said. “But we are monitoring everything they’re doing, and using that monitoring to win in court.”

      The governor’s comments came as National Guard troops from Texas were assembling at a U.S. Army Reserve training center in far southwest suburban Elwood and Trump’s administration was moving forward with deploying 300 members of the Illinois National Guard for at least 60 days over the vocal and legal objections of Pritzker and other local elected leaders.

      The Trump administration has said the troops are needed to protect federal agents and facilities involved in its ongoing deportation surge and has sought to do much the same in Portland, Oregon, though those efforts have been stymied so far by temporary court rulings.

      Speaking in the Oval Office on Tuesday, the president reiterated that he was considering employing the two-century-old Insurrection Act to get around legal court orders that would deny him the ability to deploy National Guard troops to cities such as Chicago and Portland over governors’ objections.

      “It’s been invoked before,” Trump said of the law, which the Brennan Center for Justice said has been used 30 times, starting with President George Washington, to quell the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794.

      The last time the Insurrection Act was invoked was by President George H.W. Bush during the Los Angeles riots of 1992, with the support of California Gov. Pete Wilson. It also was used in Chicago in 1968 by President Lyndon Johnson to curb rioting over the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. with the backing of Mayor Richard J. Daley and acting Gov. Samuel Shapiro.

      As Pritzker has sought to counter Trump on nearly every front, he has joined California Gov. Gavin Newsom in threatening to leave the bipartisan National Governors Association because the organization hasn’t spoken out against Trump’s National Guard mobilizations.

      Report: Prosecutor Brushing Aside Trump Pressure To Charge New York AG Letitia James

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        The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

        A top prosecutor in Virginia has reportedly informed colleagues she plans to decline to seek charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James, despite intense pressure from President Donald Trump.

        Elizabeth Yusi, who oversees major criminal prosecutions in the Norfolk office of the Eastern District of Virginia, has confided to two co-workers that she sees no probable cause to believe James engaged in mortgage fraud, the sources told MSNBC. Yusi plans to present her conclusion to the president’s new interim U.S. attorney, Lindsey Halligan, in the coming weeks, they said.

        Trump appointed Halligan to the role after he announced two weeks ago that he would fire the first acting U.S. attorney he appointed to the post, Erik Siebert, who resisted seeking fraud charges against James and other charges against former FBI Director James Comey. Siebert resigned Sept. 19 after learning he would lose his job.

        Prosecutors in the Eastern District are now bracing for Yusi to be fired for her own resistance to try a case that many lawyers have said lacks sufficient evidence, according to the two people.

        Trump has publicly called on the Justice Department to criminally prosecute James. In a Truth Social post Saturday, Trump called James “SCUM,” saying she should be removed as New York attorney general and pointing to what he called “her WITCH HUNT against President Donald J. Trump, and others.”

        On Friday, the top national security prosecutor in Virginia’s Eastern District railed against Justice Department political appointees for carrying out Trump’s directives rather than fulfilling their oath to “follow the facts and the law wherever they lead, free from fear or favor, and unhindered by political interference.”

        Alec Perkins from Hoboken, USA, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons


        James successfully sued Trump and his real estate company, the Trump Organization, for what she said was a series of fraudulent business practices, securing a 2024 civil fraud verdict and a nearly $500 million penalty from a New York judge. The verdict was upheld on appeal, but the monetary penalty was thrown out two months ago, in August, after a court deemed it excessive. Trump proclaimed “total victory” after the appellate court’s decision, while James vowed to appeal.

        Trump has repeatedly insisted James face consequences for what he deemed to be a spurious attack on him.

        The allegation that James engaged in mortgage fraud stems from a May “criminal referral” made by Trump ally Bill Pulte, whom the president appointed as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. He cited “media reports” suggesting that James had falsely claimed a Norfolk, Virginia, home where her niece resides as her primary residence to secure a lower mortgage rate.

        In a Sept. 20 social media post, Trump called on Bondi to prosecute the alleged crimes of James, former FBI Director James Comey and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) He claimed they were “all guilty as hell.” The president pointed to his two impeachments and multiple indictments as baseless.

        James Comer Withdraws James Comey Subpoena

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          Former FBI Director James Comey will not appear before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee as part of Republicans’ ongoing investigation into the federal government’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein.

          Comey had been subpoenaed in August by Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) to answer questions about any knowledge of Epstein during his time as deputy attorney general (2003–2005) and later as FBI director (2013–2017). But in a letter sent to Comer on Oct. 1, Comey declined to testify, insisting he has “no knowledge or information relevant to the Committee’s investigation.”

          “I offer this letter in lieu of a deposition that would unproductively consume the Committee’s scarce time and resources,” Comey wrote.

          Republicans on the panel are investigating whether federal law enforcement or intelligence agencies overlooked or mishandled information about Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in federal custody in 2019. The probe covers activities dating back to 1990 — a period that includes Comey’s high-level DOJ and FBI service.

          Comey stated unequivocally:

          “At no time during my service at the Department of Justice or the FBI do I recall any information or conversations that related to Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell.”

          (Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate, is serving 20 years for sex trafficking minors.)

          The letter carries weight — knowingly making false statements to Congress is a federal crime. After receiving Comey’s response, Comer withdrew the subpoena, saying it would not be productive to proceed. Comer has also recently rescinded subpoenas for former Attorneys General Eric Holder and Merrick Garland, who similarly said they had no relevant information.

          Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have also been subpoenaed to appear privately before the Oversight Committee this month however, it’s currently unclear if those meetings will go ahead as scheduled.

          Top Republicans, including President Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson (La.), have voiced support to continue the Oversight probe, arguing that it represents the most effective way to get information promptly. Comer has already released thousands of documents obtained under subpoena from the Justice Department and Epstein’s estate. 

          Congressman Issues Bitter Response To Treasury Department’s 250th United States Anniversary Coin Proposal

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            The claws are coming out…

            A New York City Congressman had a less-than-kind response to a proposal to feature President Donald Trump on a commemorative coin for the 250th anniversary of the United States’ Independence.

            The Treasury Department said it is working on a $1 coin featuring President Trump’s image to mark the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence next year, although the design isn’t final.  

            A U.S. Treasury official on Friday shared a preliminary design of the coin featuring Mr. Trump.

            “No fake news here. These first drafts honoring America’s 250th Birthday and @POTUS are real,” U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach wrote in a social media post on Friday, which included drawings of the coin. “Looking forward to sharing more soon, once the obstructionist shutdown of the United States government is over.”

            The obverse, or heads, side of the coin features Mr. Trump’s profile, while the tails side depicts the president with his fist raised and a U.S. flag flying behind him, which is reminiscent of the photo taken after a failed assassination attempt on the president in Pennsylvania last year. The tails side also has the words “fight fight fight” emblazoned over Mr. Trump’s image. 

            In a statement to CBS News, a Treasury spokesperson said the mockup of the coin shared in Beach’s post reflects a draft and that the design isn’t final. The White House didn’t immediately return requests for comment. 

            “While a final $1 dollar coin design has not yet been selected to commemorate the United States’ semiquincentennial, this first draft reflects well the enduring spirit of our country and democracy, even in the face of immense obstacles,” the spokesperson said. “We look forward to sharing more soon.”

            While federal law prohibits the U.S. Treasury from issuing currency with the image of either a living former or current president, there may be more leeway with commemorative coins produced by the U.S. Mint. Currency is produced by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, while commemorative coins are produced by the U.S. Mint, which is part of the Treasury Department.

            Under a 2021 law, the Treasury is authorized to issue $1 commemorative coins to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary. 

            Bronx Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY) said on Friday that he plans to introduce the TRUMP Act in hopes of blocking the proposal.

            The TRUMP Act, which stands for The Restrict Ugly Money Portraits Act, aims to prohibit any president from issuing currency with their own likeness and requires U.S. currency to only feature deceased individuals.

            “America’s money should only feature big, beautiful faces — not big, ugly faces,” said Rep. Torres in a statement. 

            Blinken Says Biden Laid Groundwork for Trump’s Gaza Plan

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              Joe Biden via Gage Skidmore Flickr

              Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced his support this week for a Gaza plan laid out by President Donald Trump, saying it was in line with a deal he pursued under former President Joe Biden.

              “I do think it’s cause for some hope. I certainly hope that the plan gets fully accepted, fully adopted and fully implemented,” Blinken said.

              “This is essentially the plan that developed over many months and more or less [was] left in a drawer for the incoming administration, and I’m very, very glad they picked it up,” he told the podcast of former federal prosecutor Preet Bharara.

              But he also acknowledged risks in the framework, including allowing Israel to determine when the situation allows it to withdraw fully from Gaza.

              “There’s some loopholes that they could drive a truck through if they wanted to,” Blinken said of Israel.

              Blinken traveled a dozen times to the Middle East after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, eventually seeking to press both sides to accept a ceasefire as Israel waged a relentless retaliatory offensive.

              President Donald Trump announced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to his plan to end Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip during a press conference at the White House that followed a meeting between the two leaders on Monday.

              The United States released Trump’s 20-point plan in full moments before Trump and Netanyahu stepped out in front of reporters for the press conference.

              “I also want to thank Prime Minister Netanyahu for agreeing to the plan, and for trusting that if we work together, we can bring an end to the death and destruction that we’ve seen for so many years decades, even centuries. And begin a new chapter of security, peace, and prosperity for the entire region,” said Trump in his opening remarks.

              Read Trump’s peace plan, in full, below:

              1. Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors.

              2. Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough.

              3. If both sides agree to this proposal, the war will immediately end. Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed upon line to prepare for a hostage release. During this time, all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment, will be suspended, and battle lines will remain frozen until conditions are met for the complete staged withdrawal.

              4. Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.

              5. Once all hostages are released, Israel will release 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1700 Gazans who were detained after October 7th 2023, including all women and children detained in that context. For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans.

              6. Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries.

              7. Upon acceptance of this agreement, full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip. At a minimum, aid quantities will be consistent with what was included in the January 19, 2025, agreement regarding humanitarian aid, including rehabilitation of infrastructure (water, electricity, sewage), rehabilitation of hospitals and bakeries, and entry of necessary equipment to remove rubble and open roads.

              8. Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in addition to other international institutions not associated in any manner with either party. Opening the Rafah crossing in both directions will be subject to the same mechanism implemented under the January 19, 2025 agreement.

              9. Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the “Board of Peace,” which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with other members and heads of State to be announced, including Former Prime Minister Tony Blair. This body will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump’s peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French proposal, and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza. This body will call on best international standards to create modern and efficient governance that serves the people of Gaza and is conducive to attracting investment.

              10. A Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energize Gaza will be created by convening a panel of experts who have helped birth some of the thriving modern miracle cities in the Middle East. Many thoughtful investment proposals and exciting development ideas have been crafted by well-meaning international groups, and will be considered to synthesize the security and governance frameworks to attract and facilitate these investments that will create jobs, opportunity, and hope for future Gaza.

              11. A special economic zone will be established with preferred tariff and access rates to be negotiated with participating countries.

              12. No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return. We will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.

              13. Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form. All military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt. There will be a process of demilitarization of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use through an agreed process of decommissioning, and supported by an internationally funded buy back and reintegration program all verified by the independent monitors. New Gaza will be fully committed to building a prosperous economy and to peaceful coexistence with their neighbors.

              14. A guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas, and the factions, comply with their obligations and that New Gaza poses no threat to its neighbors or its people.

              15. The United States will work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) to immediately deploy in Gaza. The ISF will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza, and will consult with Jordan and Egypt who have extensive experience in this field. This force will be the long-term internal security solution. The ISF will work with Israel and Egypt to help secure border areas, along with newly trained Palestinian police forces. It is critical to prevent munitions from entering Gaza and to facilitate the rapid and secure flow of goods to rebuild and revitalize Gaza. A deconfliction mechanism will be agreed upon by the parties.

              16. Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza. As the ISF establishes control and stability, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will withdraw based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed upon between the IDF, ISF, the guarantors, and the Unites States, with the objective of a secure Gaza that no longer poses a threat to Israel, Egypt, or its citizens. Practically, the IDF will progressively hand over the Gaza territory it occupies to the ISF according to an agreement they will make with the transitional authority until they are withdrawn completely from Gaza, save for a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat.

              17. In the event Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, the above, including the scaled-up aid operation, will proceed in the terror-free areas handed over from the IDF to the ISF.

              18. An interfaith dialogue process will be established based on the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence to try and change mindsets and narratives of Palestinians and Israelis by emphasizing the benefits that can be derived from peace.

              19. While Gaza re-development advances and when the PA reform program is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.

              20. The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence.