President Donald Trump on Monday unveiled a comprehensive peace plan for Gaza and received cautious support from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who warned that Israel was still prepared to “finish the job” against Hamas.
Hamas had yet to issue a response, and Netanyahu’s warning highlighted the complex road ahead.
“If Hamas rejects your plan, Mr President, or if they claim to accept it and then act against it, Israel will finish the job alone,” Netanyahu said during a joint press conference at the White House.
The 20-point proposal, which Trump has also shared with Arab leaders, calls for a ceasefire, the release of hostages by Hamas, the group’s disarmament, and a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Other key provisions include the deployment of a “temporary international stabilisation force” and the establishment of a transitional authority led by Trump himself alongside other foreign leaders.
The plan requires Hamas fighters to fully disarm and bars them from future governmental roles. Those who agree to “peaceful coexistence” would, however, receive amnesty.
Following Israel’s withdrawal, Gaza’s borders would reopen to aid and investment.
In a significant shift from previous proposals, Palestinians would not be forced to leave Gaza. Instead, the plan states: “We will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.”
Netanyahu voiced his support, saying the plan “achieves our war aims,” while Trump expressed optimism that Hamas would eventually endorse it.
Approval from all parties was “beyond very close,” Trump declared, though he acknowledged that many crucial details still needed clarification.
Netanyahu told reporters that Israeli forces would retain control over Gaza’s security “for the foreseeable future” and cast doubt on whether the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank, would have any role in Gaza’s administration.
“Gaza will have a peaceful, civilian administration that is run neither by Hamas nor by the Palestinian Authority,” he said.
Trump, who met key Arab leaders at the United Nations last week, claimed on social media that “ALL ARE ON BOARD FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL, FIRST TIME EVER.”
Despite Netanyahu’s recent hard-line stance — including rejecting Palestinian statehood in a defiant UN speech — Trump, typically a close ally, has shown growing frustration.
He was angered by Israel’s recent strike on Hamas figures in Qatar, a key US ally, and last week warned Netanyahu against annexing the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a move that could jeopardise prospects for Palestinian statehood.
Meanwhile, Israel’s coalition government, dominated by far-right ministers opposed to a peace deal, remains a significant obstacle.
In Gaza, Israeli air strikes continued, killing at least four people in Khan Yunis, according to the territory’s Hamas-run civil defence agency.
Families of Israeli hostages urged Trump to pursue his proposal, while Gaza residents expressed a mix of hope, fatigue, and distrust.
“I don’t expect anything from Trump, because Trump supports Netanyahu in destroying the Gaza Strip,” said Mohammed Abu Rabee, 34.
The ongoing conflict was sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, which killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
Israel’s subsequent offensive has killed 66,055 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to health ministry data in the Hamas-run enclave, figures deemed credible by the United Nations.