US Pitches Israel on 20-Point Peace Plan

Dennis Ross, longtime State Department official and distinguished fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, breaks down the potential discussion between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu as the US tries to push Israel toward an end to the war in Gaza.

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said they had agreed to a 20-point plan designed to end the war in Gaza, though the prospects for peace remained unclear without the direct involvement of Hamas.

Trump said the framework had the support of other leaders from the Middle East and Muslim majority nations during a press conference Monday alongside Netanyahu, suggesting it could lay the ground for a broader peace in the region.

Still, the proposal — which mandates Hamas have no role in the future of Gaza — must be accepted by the militant group, which would need to agree to substantial concessions. Hamas, which sparked the war with an Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel said ahead of the Trump-Netanyahu meeting that it had not yet seen the plan and would need to study the proposal.

Trump warned that “if Hamas rejects the deal” then Netanyahu would “have our full backing” to destroy the militant group.

“We’re not quite finished. We have to get Hamas, but I think they’re going to be able to do this. So now it’s time for Hamas to accept the terms of the plan that we’ve put forward today,” Trump said.

The plan stipulates that the two-year conflict would end immediately if accepted by both Israel and Hamas, and that all hostages and the remains of those who died would be returned within 72 hours. The agreement would also see Israel release nearly 2,000 prisoners and stipulates that Israel would not occupy or annex Gaza.

The proposal encourages Gaza residents to remain in place, pledges the immediate resumption of aid, and says a “panel of experts” would be convened to “rebuild and energize” the war-torn area with economic development.

Netanyahu, at the press conference, said he supported Trump’s plan to end the war, saying it “achieves our war aims.”

“Israel will retain security responsibility, including a security perimeter for the foreseeable future,” he added.

The plan calls for Hamas to agree not to have any direct or indirect role in the governance of Gaza, instead handing control of the territory to a “technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services.” That body would be overseen by a “Board of Peace” to chaired by Trump, and involve the participation of other world leaders, including former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. The terms also reference a future where the conditions for a Palestinian state “may finally be in place” if the agreement is implemented.

Trump cast the plan unveiled Monday as laying the groundwork for a possible broader Mideast peace, highlighting his efforts to convince more Arab Gulf states to normalize relations with Israel. And the president said Arab and Muslim parteners “are fully prepared to step up.”

“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,” Trump said of the 20-point plan. “So this is far more than anybody expected, but the level of support that I’ve had from the nations in the Middle East.”

Israel’s shekel jumped to a session high versus the dollar after Trump said Netanyahu had agreed to the plan.

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