Former President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu jointly presented a new proposal at the White House on Monday aimed at ending the ongoing war in Gaza. They lauded it as a significant stride towards Middle East peace and emphatically demanded Hamas’s acceptance. However, the militant group is unlikely to agree, as the plan necessitates their disarmament, a withdrawal far less than a full Israeli pullout, and a complete exclusion from Gaza’s future governance.
Regional officials, briefed on a meeting between Qatari and Egyptian intelligence chiefs with Hamas negotiators, indicated that Hamas has pledged to review the proposal in good faith. Prime Minister Netanyahu swiftly endorsed the plan, while former President Trump issued a stark warning: if Hamas rejects the terms – which include multiple conditions previously dismissed by the group – Israel would receive his ‘full backing’ to eliminate the threat entirely. Netanyahu echoed this resolve, stating, “This can be done the easy way or it can be done the hard way, but it will be done.”
The plan outlines a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. An initial pullback would coincide with the return of all Israeli hostages, both living and deceased. A subsequent withdrawal would occur once an “International Stabilization Force” is ready to assume internal security responsibilities. Crucially, Israel would retain a substantial “buffer zone” within Gaza’s borders for the foreseeable future.
In exchange, Hamas would benefit from a prisoner swap, involving 250 inmates serving life sentences and 1,700 individuals detained post-October 7, 2023, including all women and children. Hamas members who commit to peaceful coexistence and surrender their weapons would be granted amnesty, with safe passage offered to those choosing to leave Gaza. However, the militant group would lose any role in governance, see its military infrastructure dismantled, and undergo demilitarization under independent oversight.
Regarding Palestinian statehood, the proposal offers only symbolic recognition, acknowledging it as an “aspiration.” It suggests that a “credible pathway” to statehood might emerge only after Gaza’s reconstruction and the Palestinian Authority’s completion of a “reform program.” This stance clashes with the Arab nations’ desire for the Palestinian Authority to lead postwar Gaza, while Israel views the Authority as too corrupt for such a role.
Key developments around this plan include:
- Intensified Fighting: Even as peace proposals were discussed, Israeli forces continued their sweep through Gaza City, causing mass displacement. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been forced to flee multiple times, facing relentless fear, hunger, and bombardment for two years.
- International Diplomacy: The war has severely impacted Israel’s international standing. Prime Minister Netanyahu faces allegations of war crimes from the International Criminal Court, several European allies have recognized a Palestinian state despite Israeli objections, and even ordinary Israelis traveling abroad increasingly encounter protests.
- Unresolved Hostage Crisis: Despite the devastating impact on Gaza, Hamas has not surrendered or released the remaining hostages. Israel reports at least 20 living captives and approximately 25 bodies are still held.
The White House’s Gaza Cease-Fire Plan: Key Points
The White House officially released a comprehensive 20-point plan on Monday, advocating for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and detailing a framework for the territory’s future. Many of these conditions have been consistently rejected by Hamas in previous negotiations. Here are the core tenets of the proposal:
- Gaza must become a de-radicalized, terror-free zone, posing no threat to its neighbors.
- The territory will be rebuilt for the benefit of its long-suffering people.
- Immediate cessation of hostilities upon mutual agreement, with Israeli forces withdrawing to an agreed upon line to prepare for a hostage release. All military operations, including aerial bombardments, would be suspended and battle lines frozen until a complete staged withdrawal is achieved.
- All hostages, living and deceased, to be returned within 72 hours of Israel’s public acceptance of the agreement.
- Upon hostage release, Israel will free 250 life-sentence prisoners and 1,700 Gazans detained post-Oct. 7, 2023, including all women and children in that category. For each Israeli deceased hostage returned, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans.
- Hamas members pledging peaceful coexistence and decommissioning weapons will receive amnesty. Those wishing to leave Gaza will be granted safe passage to receiving countries.
- Full aid will immediately flow into Gaza upon agreement acceptance, at quantities consistent with the Jan. 19, 2025, humanitarian aid agreement, covering infrastructure, hospitals, bakeries, and rubble removal.
- Aid distribution will proceed without interference from either party, managed by the UN, its agencies, the Red Crescent, and other independent international institutions. The Rafah crossing’s dual-direction opening will follow the Jan. 19, 2025, agreement.
- Gaza will be governed by a temporary, technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for daily public services and municipal administration.
- This committee will comprise qualified Palestinians and international experts, overseen by a new “Board of Peace,” chaired by former President Donald J. Trump, with other heads of state and former Prime Minister Tony Blair announced as members.
- The “Board of Peace” will establish the framework and funding for Gaza’s redevelopment until the Palestinian Authority completes its reform program (as per Trump’s 2020 peace plan and the Saudi-French proposal) and can securely and effectively regain control of Gaza. It will promote modern, efficient governance to attract investment.
- A Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energize Gaza will be created by experts who revitalized other Middle Eastern cities, incorporating thoughtful investment proposals and development ideas to attract investment, create jobs, opportunity, and hope for future Gaza.
- A special economic zone with preferred tariff and access rates will be negotiated with participating countries.
- No one will be forced to leave Gaza; those who wish to leave may do so freely and retain the right to return. The plan encourages residents to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.
- Hamas and other factions must relinquish any governance role in Gaza, directly or indirectly. All military, terror, and offensive infrastructure (tunnels, weapon production facilities) will be destroyed and not rebuilt. Gaza’s demilitarization will be supervised by independent monitors, including decommissioning weapons and an internationally funded buy-back/reintegration program. A “New Gaza” will be committed to a prosperous economy and peaceful coexistence.
- Regional partners will guarantee Hamas’s and other factions’ compliance, ensuring “New Gaza” poses no threat.
- The United States, with Arab and international partners, will develop a temporary International Stabilization Force (I.S.F.) for immediate deployment. The I.S.F. will train and support vetted Palestinian police forces, consulting with experienced Jordanian and Egyptian counterparts. This force will be the long-term internal security solution, also assisting Israel and Egypt in securing border areas to prevent munitions entry and facilitate goods flow. A de-confliction mechanism will be agreed upon.
- Israel will neither occupy nor annex Gaza. As the I.S.F. achieves control and stability, the Israel Defense Forces (I.D.F.) will withdraw based on agreed standards, milestones, and timelines linked to demilitarization, aiming for a secure Gaza. The I.D.F. will progressively hand over occupied territory to the I.S.F. until complete withdrawal, maintaining a security perimeter until Gaza is free from resurgent terror threats.
- Should Hamas delay or reject the proposal, aid operations and other aspects will proceed in terror-free areas handed over from the I.D.F. to the I.S.F.
- An interfaith dialogue promoting tolerance and peaceful coexistence will be established to shift mindsets and narratives among Palestinians and Israelis, emphasizing the benefits of peace.
- As Gaza’s redevelopment progresses and the P.A. reform program is enacted, conditions may finally allow for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, recognized as an aspiration of the Palestinian people.
- The United States will facilitate dialogue between Israel and Palestinians to define a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous coexistence.
International Reactions and Key Players
French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed support for Trump’s cease-fire proposal, urging Israel to commit to its terms and calling on Hamas to release hostages and comply immediately. Meanwhile, within Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Likud Party members welcomed Trump’s vision, framing it as a path to “peace through strength,” though some emphasized that a Palestinian state would “never be” established. Opposition leaders, like Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz, also praised the plan as a proper basis for a hostage deal and an end to the war, signaling potential political support for its advancement.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is emerging as a potential key player in Gaza’s post-war reconstruction. He has been actively championing a plan for a “Gaza International Transitional Authority,” a UN-mandated administration supported by a multinational security force to bring stability to the region. Blair is now considered a candidate to lead this authority. He praised Trump’s plan as “bold” and offering “the best chance of ending two years of war, misery and suffering.” The Middle East has been a consistent, albeit challenging, focus of Blair’s post-Downing Street career, marked by both controversy and efforts to foster ties with Arab leaders. His previous role as an envoy for the Quartet, an unsuccessful diplomatic effort, highlights his enduring engagement with the region’s complex dynamics.
A crucial aspect of the White House proposal is its lack of clear assurances regarding a final withdrawal of Israeli military forces. While a phased pullback is mentioned, Israel could maintain control over a significant buffer zone within Gaza’s borders indefinitely, as the criteria for determining a “properly secure” Gaza remain unspecified. This raises concerns about long-term Israeli presence and control.
Former President Trump’s framework also includes a line acknowledging Palestinian statehood as an “aspiration,” though under unspecified future conditions. Many Palestinians are likely to find this vague prospect of independence insufficient. This symbolic commitment could also become a point of contention for Netanyahu’s right-wing government, which has consistently vowed to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Hamas, for its part, is unlikely to accept the plan in its current form, having consistently demanded a permanent end to the war and a complete Israeli withdrawal before any hostage release. The proposal mandates hostage release within 72 hours of Israeli acceptance, but leaves the Israeli withdrawal timeline unclear, tied to demilitarization milestones. The call for Hamas to disarm also directly conflicts with the group’s publicly stated refusal to do so.
Trump expressed confidence that Hamas would now be more inclined to accept the deal due to significant losses in its leadership, stating, “This is a different Hamas… Their leadership has been killed three times over. So you’re really dealing with different people.” However, the rambling and jumbled nature of the news conference, where Trump diverted to tell jokes and criticize Joe Biden, did not necessarily instill confidence in the diplomatic gravity of the situation.