As the world watches the ongoing conflict in Gaza, a new chapter may be unfolding, one that could reshape the region’s future and test the resolve of its leaders. On September 29, 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump are set to meet in Washington—a summit that comes amid mounting international pressure, domestic unrest in Israel, and a bold American proposal that has sent shockwaves through diplomatic circles.
Just days before the meeting, President Trump unveiled an ambitious 21-point plan aimed at ending the war in Gaza. The announcement, made during discussions with Arab and Muslim leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, signaled a dramatic push for peace. Trump, never one to shy away from grand gestures, hinted at “something special” in the works for the Middle East. On his Truth Social platform, he declared, “WE WILL GET IT DONE!!!”—a statement that both raised expectations and underscored the high stakes of the moment, according to AFP.
Despite Trump’s optimism, the journey toward peace is fraught with obstacles. On September 26, 2025, speaking to reporters in Washington, Trump asserted, “I think we have a deal” on Gaza. Yet, at nearly the same time, Netanyahu took the stage at the United Nations and vowed to “finish the job” in Israel’s war against Hamas, reflecting the deep divisions and competing priorities still at play.
Experts say Netanyahu is increasingly cornered. Eytan Gilboa, a noted authority on US-Israel relations from Bar-Ilan University, told AFP, “He has no other choice but to accept” Trump’s plan for a ceasefire, “simply because the United States and Trump have remained almost his only ally in the international community.”
Netanyahu, for his part, has publicly conveyed a desire to free Israeli hostages, disarm Hamas, demilitarize Gaza, and establish what he called “a new future set up for Gazans and Israelis alike, and for the whole region,” as he told Fox News on September 28. But the political ground beneath him is shifting rapidly.
Back home, tens of thousands of Israeli protesters have taken to the streets, urging Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire. On September 27, they appealed directly to Trump to use his influence. Lishay Miran-Lavi, whose husband Omri remains captive in Gaza, spoke for many when she said, “The only thing that can stop the slide into the abyss is a full, comprehensive agreement that ends the war and brings all the hostages and the soldiers home.” Addressing Trump, she pleaded, “Use your influence with Prime Minister Netanyahu.”
Internationally, Israel finds itself more isolated than ever. In a dramatic break with longstanding US-led diplomatic protocols, countries including the UK, France, Canada, and Australia have officially recognized Palestinian statehood. This erosion of support has left Netanyahu with few friends abroad, making the American plan all the more pivotal.
So, what’s in Trump’s 21-point plan? According to diplomatic sources cited by Reuters and AFP, the proposal envisions a permanent ceasefire, the release of hostages, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and a significant influx of humanitarian aid. Arab and Muslim leaders have welcomed the plan’s broad outlines but insist on an immediate halt to Israeli military operations and reject any continued occupation of Gaza.
Yet the plan is not without its flashpoints. Perhaps the most controversial element is the proposed involvement of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA) in the future governance of Gaza. The PA, which ruled Gaza until Hamas seized control in 2007, is a red line for Netanyahu’s hardline coalition partners. The US proposal conditions the PA’s return on implementing reform programs—a process that, as Gilboa warns, “could take years” to materialize.
That’s not the only hurdle. Several far-right ministers in Netanyahu’s coalition have threatened to collapse the government if he agrees to the PA’s return or ends the war without defeating Hamas. The very survival of Netanyahu’s government could hang in the balance, especially if he’s seen as conceding on these core issues.
Amid the political brinkmanship, opposition leader Yair Lapid has offered what he calls a parliamentary “safety net.” Lapid’s centrist Yesh Atid party has pledged to support a ceasefire and hostage-release deal, but whether other opposition parties would join him remains uncertain. “This kind of broad plan would need a broad consensus,” noted Ksenia Svetlova, a former Knesset member now heading the regional cooperation NGO ROPES. Svetlova suggested that Netanyahu might accept only parts of the deal, negotiating or postponing decisions on the most contentious elements.
Another thorny issue is security. The US plan envisions an international security force to guarantee stability in Gaza after an Israeli withdrawal. This force would include Palestinian personnel and troops from Arab and Muslim nations. However, the details—such as command structure and operational control—are still murky. As Svetlova put it, “This plan is internationalising the Gaza conflict in an unprecedented way, but without a clear plan on who will be the guiding star, what the end goals are, who will see it through. The unpredictability factor runs wild here, really.”
Even Hamas, the group at the center of the conflict, is keeping its cards close to the vest. On the evening of September 28, Hossam Badran, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, said the group “had not received any official proposal from Qatari or Egyptian mediators.” This ambiguity adds yet another layer of uncertainty to an already complex situation.
For Arab and Muslim leaders, the proposal’s promise of a ceasefire and humanitarian aid is a welcome step, but many remain skeptical, insisting that only an immediate end to the war and a halt to occupation will suffice. Meanwhile, the international community is watching closely, aware that the region’s fate may hinge on decisions made in the coming days.
The Trump-Netanyahu meeting could prove to be a turning point. With Netanyahu’s government under threat from within and Israel’s diplomatic isolation deepening, the pressure to find a path forward is immense. Whether Trump’s 21-point plan will be the blueprint for peace or just another chapter in a long saga of failed negotiations remains to be seen. But for now, the world waits—hopeful, wary, and all too aware of what’s at stake.
