On September 29, 2025, the world watched as President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood side by side at the White House, unveiling what they described as a sweeping and unprecedented peace proposal for Gaza. The plan, meticulously detailed in a 20-point document released by the White House, aims to bring an immediate ceasefire to the war-torn territory and chart a new course for the future of Gaza and its more than two million inhabitants.
According to ABC News, Trump declared, "We're at a minimum, very, very close," signaling optimism that the drawn-out conflict could soon see a turning point. Netanyahu echoed this sentiment, stating, "I believe that today we're taking a critical step towards both ending the war in Gaza and setting the stage for dramatically advancing peace in the Middle East." Yet, as both leaders acknowledged, the plan's success hinges on a crucial missing piece: Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza, had not yet agreed to the terms.
The core of the proposal is a dramatic exchange: all Israeli hostages held in Gaza—48 in total, with 20 believed alive—would be released within 72 hours of Israel accepting the agreement. In return, Israel would free over 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving life sentences and 1,700 detained from Gaza since the start of the war, as reported by the Associated Press (AP). The plan also stipulates the return of bodies—15 Palestinians for each Israeli hostage body handed over.
But the conditions do not stop there. The White House’s plan calls for an immediate suspension of all military operations, with battle lines frozen until a staged withdrawal can be implemented. Members of Hamas who commit to peaceful coexistence and agree to decommission their weapons would be granted amnesty. For those unwilling to remain, the plan offers safe passage out of Gaza. The proposal pointedly requires that "Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form."
Trump’s administration made it clear that if Hamas rejects the deal, Israel would have the full support of the United States to "finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas." In his words, "Bibi, you'd have our full backing to do what you would have to do," using Netanyahu’s familiar nickname. Netanyahu, for his part, left little doubt about Israel’s resolve: "This can be done the easy way, or the hard way. But it will be done."
Despite the urgency, the path to peace remains fraught with challenges. As AP notes, Hamas faces a bitter dilemma: the deal demands that it disarm and effectively surrender in exchange for promises of aid and reconstruction, but offers only a vague possibility of Palestinian statehood in the distant future. The group has so far rejected disarmament, insisting on its right to resist until Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands ends.
Shortly after the plan’s announcement, Qatar’s prime minister and Egypt’s intelligence chief shared the proposal with Hamas negotiators. According to officials cited by ABC News, Hamas said it would review the framework in good faith and provide a response. Trump’s Special Envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, acknowledged the complexity of the deal, telling reporters, "We have to set up success. This is a complicated deal to hand off from one government to another."
One of the plan’s most significant features is the establishment of a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF), composed of Arab and international partners, to oversee Gaza’s security. The ISF would train vetted Palestinian police forces and consult with regional experts from Jordan and Egypt. Even if Hamas rejects the proposal, the plan envisions the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) progressively handing over "terror-free areas" of Gaza to the ISF, where scaled-up humanitarian aid operations would commence.
Humanitarian aid, a lifeline for Gaza’s battered population, would be managed by neutral international bodies such as the United Nations and the Red Crescent. The plan specifically states that Palestinians will not be expelled from Gaza, addressing widespread fears of mass displacement. Instead, there will be a concerted international effort to rebuild the territory, which has been devastated by months of conflict.
Perhaps the most novel aspect of the proposal is its governance structure. For the foreseeable future, Gaza would be placed under international control, with a "Board of Peace"—chaired by Trump himself and including former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair—overseeing both administration and reconstruction. This board would supervise the flow of reconstruction funds and guide the territory through a transitional period until a reformed Palestinian Authority (PA) could assume control. Tony Blair, in a statement, called Trump’s willingness to chair the board "a huge signal of support and confidence in the future of Gaza, of the possibility of Israelis and Palestinians finding a path to peace and of the potential for a broader regional and global alliance to counter the forces of extremism and promote peace and prosperity between nations."
The plan’s nod to Palestinian statehood is cautious and conditional. It suggests that if the PA reforms sufficiently and Gaza’s redevelopment advances, "the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood." But as AP points out, the prospect remains distant and uncertain, particularly given Israel’s longstanding opposition to a Palestinian state and Netanyahu’s own skepticism about the PA’s ability to reform.
Reactions to the plan have been mixed and, at times, sharply divided. Arab countries—among them Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—issued a joint statement welcoming Trump’s proposal and expressing confidence in his ability to find a path to peace. Yet, within Israel, Netanyahu faces resistance from his ultra-nationalist coalition allies. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a member of the security cabinet, published his "red lines" on social media, insisting that any deal must not allow the Palestinian Authority to be involved in Gaza or pave the way for Palestinian statehood. Smotrich and others in the right-wing bloc have previously threatened to leave the government if Netanyahu halts the war in Gaza.
Netanyahu may see a loophole in the plan’s language, which makes PA involvement in Gaza conditional on internal reforms—a process he appears to believe will never be completed. In his remarks with Trump, Netanyahu suggested that while the plan technically opens the door to PA governance, it is unlikely to materialize.
The diplomatic choreography behind the scenes has been intense. The White House orchestrated a three-way call between Trump, Netanyahu, and Qatar’s prime minister, during which Netanyahu expressed "deep regret" for an Israeli missile strike in Doha that killed a Qatari serviceman. According to ABC News, this outreach was seen as necessary to smooth over tensions and secure critical Arab support for the peace initiative.
Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and a key architect of the Abraham Accords, was also involved in the talks leading up to the announcement. His participation underscores the administration’s desire to leverage past diplomatic breakthroughs in pursuit of a broader regional settlement.
As the world waits for Hamas’s formal response, the fate of Gaza—and the prospect for a lasting peace—hangs in the balance. The plan’s bold ambitions, international backing, and high-profile leadership offer hope, but also highlight the formidable obstacles that remain. Whether this latest attempt can break the cycle of violence and deliver a new era for Gaza is a question that only time, and the willingness of all parties to compromise, will answer.