The American 21-point plan for ending the war was presented on Monday evening at a joint press conference in the White House by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu.
However, the plan leaves many details and deadlines open and Trump and Netanyahu left the press conference without taking any questions from journalists. It is not a done deal pending the return by Netanyahu to Israel, where he will face his far-right government.
The government will have to approve the plan against the opposition of extremist ministers whom the European Commission has proposed to sanction.
The plan must also be accepted by Hamas, which is expected to surrender, lay down its weapons and give up any future governing role in Gaza in exchange for ending the war and promises of free passage. Although it reportedly has been briefed about the plan, no proximity talks with them about it have taken place.
Arab countries, in particular Qatar, are expected and required to exert heavy pressure on Hamas to accept the plan. During their meeting in the Oval Office, before the press conference, Trump convinced Netanyahu to call Prime Minister Al-Thani of Qatar to apologise for Israel’s violation of its sovereignty when it carried out a failed attack against Hamas’s political leadership in Doha.
“We’re not quite finished,” Trump admitted in his speech. “We have to get Hamas, but I think they’re going to be able to do it. There are a lot of good people involved. Everybody who wants to see an end to the violence and destruction should be united in calling for Hamas to accept the extremely fair proposal, so that we can end the war and get us back our hostages right now, and have everlasting peace.”
Netanyahu on his part, as the last person who met Trump before the plan was finalised, had reason to be satisfied because the plan is consistent with the principles his government has set for the ending the war and the day after Hamas. “If Hamas agrees to the plan, the first step will be a modest withdrawal, followed by the release of all our hostages within 72 hours,” he said.
If not, he threatened to continue the war and will have Trump’s full backing to “finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas”.
“I think we should understand that we’re giving everybody a chance to have this done peacefully, something that will achieve all our war objectives without any further bloodshed,” Netanyahu said. “But if Hamas rejects your plan, Mr. President, or if they supposedly accept it and then basically do everything to counter it, then Israel will finish the job by itself.”
“This can be done the easy way or it can be done the hard way, but it will be done. We prefer the easy way, but it has to be done.” Netanyahu felt also encouraged by Trump’s statement at the UN against the recognition of a Palestinian state. He continues to claim that it would be an outcome that would reward terror and endanger Israel’s very existence.
Netanyahu continues also to argue that the Palestinian Authority (PA) can have no role whatsoever in Gaza without undergoing a radical and genuine transformation. This will not happen any time soon, he claims. “Rather than wait for this miraculous transformation, your plan provides a practical and realistic path forward for Gaza in the coming years, in which Gaza will be administered neither by Hamas nor PA.”
Trump was enthusiastic about the plan and described the day as “potentially one of the great days ever in civilization” which would end a conflict which has been going on for hundreds and even thousands of years. “We discussed how to end the war in Gaza, but it’s just a part of the bigger picture, which is peace in the Middle East, and let’s call it eternal peace in the Middle East.”
He thanked the leaders of many Arab and Muslim nations for “their tremendous support in developing the proposal, along with many of our allies in Europe”. According to Trump, Europe was very much involved and did not believe that it was possible. “I was called, by many of the European leaders, most of them saying, is this true? Are you really doing peace in the Middle East?”
The first reactions from EU leaders were positive and full of hope that the plan will be implemented. “President Trump’s Gaza plan is an opportunity for lasting peace,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas tweeted on X. "It offers the best immediate chance to end the war. The EU is ready to help it succeed. Israel has signed on to the plan. Hamas must now accept it without delay, starting with the immediate release of hostages.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed Donald Trump’s commitment to end the war in Gaza and encouraged “all parties to now seize this opportunity”. She added that “a two-state solution remains the only viable path to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East with the Israeli and Palestinian people living side by side, in peace and security, free from violence and terrorism”.
The EU may have been sidelined in the process leading up to Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza but stands ready to contribute according to EU leaders.
“One thing is sure, the EU is the main player in the reform of the Palestinian Authority,” Dr. Maya Sion-Tzidkiyahu, co-author of a report on the reconstruction of Gaza, told The Brussels Times. “If the board headed by Trump will not take hold of the reform process, the EU remains a player, even though it was sidelined.”
“It’s important to stop the war for the sake of the hostages, for the sake of the civilian Palestinians in Gaza and also for Israel’s own sake. Israel’s legitimacy for the war has eroded by its government’s conduct of the war.”
Noureddine Fridhi, Brussels-based correspondent for Al Arabiya News, agreed. “The first most important point is that the ceasefire hopefully will enter into force so that humanitarian assistance can be provided and the hostages be freed.” Other points are more complicated and unclear.
He mentioned the interim administration in Gaza and its cooperation with the Palestinian Authority which is supposed to replace it in the future. The role of Tony Blair, who lost credibility after supporting the US invasion of Iraq, is also dubious. As regards the occupied West Bank, tension and violence there might escalate in the absence of any tangible commitments in the plan.
Main points in Trump’s plan
The plan says that all Israeli hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting the agreement. Once all hostages are released, Israel will release 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1700 Gazans who were detained after October 7th 2023.
If both sides agree to the proposal (in bold by editor), 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.
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. Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form.
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. An international stabilization force will be deployed to the Strip immediately. Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza.
No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return. People will be encouraged to stay and offered the opportunity to build a better Gaza.
Upon acceptance of the agreement, full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip, including rehabilitation of infrastructure, rehabilitation of hospitals and bakeries, and entry of necessary equipment to remove rubble and open roads.
An international stabilization force (ISF) will be deployed to the Gaza Strip immediately. The US will work with Arab and international partners to develop the force which will be the long-term internal security solution.
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 US. Israel will withdraw completely from Gaza save for a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat.
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.
Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza. 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.
An international oversight body will be chaired by the US President and managed by former British 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 (PA) has completed its reform program. The plan ends with the following points:
“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. The US will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence.”
