On September 29, 2025, President Donald Trump unveiled an ambitious multi-point proposal aimed at ending the nearly two-year-long war between Israel and Hamas, promising not only a ceasefire but also the reconstruction and redevelopment of the devastated Gaza Strip. The plan, which has drawn both praise and skepticism worldwide, calls for an immediate halt to fighting, the release of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for hundreds of detained Gazans, and a roadmap for humanitarian aid and long-term rebuilding efforts in Gaza.
According to The Conversation, the proposal—variously described as a 20- or 21-point plan—demands that Hamas surrender and disarm, and outlines a phased withdrawal of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) from Gaza. It also introduces the concept of an interim governing body, to be led by Trump himself alongside former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, and an international stabilization force that would support and train vetted Palestinian police units. The plan’s stated ambition is to prevent further displacement of Palestinians and to advance a comprehensive peace, but its details have left many observers questioning its feasibility and fairness.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly accepted the proposal, even as hard-right members of his governing coalition voiced fierce objections. In a video message, Netanyahu insisted that the Israeli military "will remain in most of the Gaza Strip," seemingly contradicting the plan’s call for a full Israeli withdrawal. Meanwhile, Israeli forces continued their operations in Gaza, with medical sources telling Al Jazeera that at least 30 people were killed on September 30. The ongoing violence underscores the fragility of any potential agreement and the deep mistrust that lingers between the parties.
Hamas, for its part, has not yet issued an official response. A senior official from the group told the Associated Press that Hamas would study the proposal—received via mediators Egypt and Qatar—before making any decision. The Palestinian Authority, which partially governs the West Bank, welcomed Trump’s efforts and pledged institutional reforms that could allow it to return to governance in Gaza.
The backdrop to these diplomatic maneuvers is the staggering human cost of the conflict. The Gaza Health Ministry reports that more than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war erupted on October 7, 2023, following a Hamas attack on Israel that left over 1,200 dead and around 250 taken hostage. Nearly 2,000 Israelis—both civilians and combatants—have also lost their lives in the subsequent fighting. As TIME notes, the Gaza Health Ministry’s figures are widely relied upon by humanitarian organizations and international bodies, though they do not distinguish between civilian and combatant casualties and cannot be independently verified.
The Trump proposal has garnered significant international support. Leaders from France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Germany, and India all issued statements welcoming the initiative and urging Hamas to accept its terms. French President Emmanuel Macron posted on X, "I welcome President Trump’s commitment to ending the war in Gaza and securing the release of all hostages." He added, "These elements must pave the way for in-depth discussions with all relevant partners to build a lasting peace in the region, based on the two-state solution and on the principles endorsed by 142 UN member states, at the initiative of France and Saudi Arabia." British Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed the sentiment, calling on all parties to work with the U.S. administration to "finalise this agreement and bring it into reality."
Regional powers have also weighed in. The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt released a joint statement on September 29, expressing their "confidence in [Trump’s] ability to find a path to peace" and emphasizing the importance of preventing Palestinian displacement, ensuring humanitarian aid, and pursuing a two-state solution that fully integrates Gaza and the West Bank into a future Palestinian state. These states, according to Middle East expert Scott Lucas, are motivated by a desire to end the mass killing of Gaza’s civilians and by concerns over regional security, as Israel has recently launched strikes on Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, and even targeted Hamas negotiators in Doha, Qatar.
However, the plan has not been without controversy. Critics argue that it heavily favors Israeli interests and imposes conditions on Hamas—such as the unconditional release of all hostages and complete disarmament—that the group is unlikely to accept. Yousef Munayyer, head of the Palestine-Israel program at the Arab Center in Washington, told Bloomberg, "It’s an attempt to create American sponsored political cover for the continuation of genocide in Gaza, at a time where the entire world is rejecting that." Some Israeli officials have made similar points. Knesset member Moshe Saada commented to the Jewish News Syndicate that the proposal includes "conditions for Hamas that we know it cannot do," effectively giving Israel "a green light to continue destroying Hamas, continue occupying Gaza City, and allow voluntary emigration out of Gaza."
Within Israel, reactions have been mixed. President Isaac Herzog called the plan "real hope for the release of the hostages, for ensuring the security of Israel, for ending the war, and for changing the reality in the Gaza Strip and the Middle East toward a new era of regional and international partnership." Yet other officials, such as Knesset member Amit Halevi, dismissed the plan as "not a realistic agreement" due to its inclusion of the possibility of a Palestinian state, suggesting that only full IDF control of Gaza would be acceptable. Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi was even more blunt, vowing that "a Palestinian state will never arise in the land of our forefathers!"
Arab and Muslim governments, meanwhile, are walking a delicate tightrope. While many of these states have little love for Hamas—viewing it as a destabilizing force—they must publicly express solidarity with the Palestinian people to maintain legitimacy at home. Their involvement in the proposal is largely as part of an international "Board of Peace," which would supervise a temporary transitional government of Palestinian technocrats and oversee the stabilization force. The plan also dangles the prospect of economic benefits from Gaza’s reconstruction, though the specifics remain vague.
The question of the two-state solution—long a cornerstone of international diplomacy—remains contentious. Historically, Arab states have not always prioritized this outcome, often focusing instead on normalization with Israel or other regional interests. However, the scale of the current conflict and shifting international sentiment may be pushing some states, notably Saudi Arabia, to reengage with the idea. Trump’s plan explicitly calls for integrating Gaza and the West Bank into a single Palestinian state, but as long as Israeli military actions continue and hardline elements in Netanyahu’s coalition resist, the prospects for genuine normalization or a two-state outcome appear dim.
Analysts are quick to caution that, even with widespread diplomatic support, the road ahead is fraught with obstacles. Michael Koplow of the Israel Policy Forum observed, "Trump acts like this is a done deal for political purposes, Bibi reminds everyone that it is far from over for political purposes, and now comes the much harder part of getting Hamas on board and then overcoming all of the pitfalls of Israeli politics." As previous ceasefire agreements have shown, even the best-laid plans can collapse under the weight of mutual distrust and ongoing violence.
For now, the world watches and waits as the key players weigh their options and the people of Gaza and Israel endure yet another uncertain chapter in a conflict that has already exacted a devastating toll.
