US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood side by side at the White House on Monday to announce a sweeping 20-point Gaza peace plan aimed at ending nearly two years of war in Gaza. Trump declared the two sides were “beyond very close” to peace, but the absence of Hamas from negotiations cast immediate doubt over whether the deal could take hold.

What the Plan Proposes

The White House document outlines:

  • Immediate ceasefire across Gaza.
  • Hostage-for-prisoner swap — release of all Israeli captives in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian detainees.
  • Staged Israeli withdrawal from the enclave.
  • Hamas disarmament and an end to its political control.
  • A transitional government led by an international body.
  • Creation of a “Board of Peace” chaired by Trump and including figures like former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Trump stressed that if Hamas rejects the deal, Israel would have “full US backing” to act militarily. Netanyahu echoed this, saying the plan “achieves our war aims” by dismantling Hamas’s capabilities and preventing future threats.

Hamas Holds the Key

Hamas officials told mediators in Qatar and Egypt they would “review the plan in good faith,” but a source close to the group described it as “completely biased to Israel” and containing “impossible conditions.” The group has consistently refused disarmament, demanding instead a full Israeli withdrawal.

Regional Reactions

The proposal drew cautious support from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, and Egypt, whose foreign ministers jointly welcomed Trump’s initiative. The Palestinian Authority also backed US efforts, while Palestinian Islamic Jihad rejected the plan outright, calling it a “recipe to blow up the region.”

Meanwhile, Netanyahu issued a rare apology to Qatar for a September 9 strike in Doha that killed a Qatari serviceman during failed attempts to target Hamas leaders. The move was seen as an effort to smooth relations with key mediators.

The Stakes

  • Over 66,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s offensive began, according to local health authorities.
  • Israel says 48 hostages remain in Hamas custody, 20 of them alive.
  • The war, triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that killed 1,200 Israelis, has devastated Gaza’s infrastructure and displaced millions.

Trump’s peace plan is the boldest US effort yet to end the war, but its success hinges on Hamas’s response — and history suggests scepticism is warranted. For Netanyahu, the plan offers a chance to claim victory and relieve domestic pressure, but it risks fracturing his coalition if far-right allies view it as too conciliatory. For Trump, it’s a high-stakes gamble: a diplomatic breakthrough that could reshape his legacy, or another failed attempt in a region littered with broken peace efforts.