WASHINGTON – In a dramatic move aimed at ending the two-year-long war in Gaza, U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly unveiled a detailed peace proposal and issued a stark ultimatum to Hamas, giving the militant group a matter of days to accept the terms or face devastating consequences.
Standing alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a joint press conference at the White House, Trump warned that Hamas would “pay in hell” if it rejects the deal. When pressed on the timeline, the president stated, “We’re going to do about three or four days.”
The 20-point plan, which aligns closely with Israel’s long-standing security demands, represents the most comprehensive international effort to date to resolve the conflict that has ravaged the Palestinian enclave.
The Terms of the Deal
The proposed agreement, which has been shared with Hamas through regional intermediaries, outlines a clear sequence of actions:
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Hostage for Prisoner Exchange: Hamas must release the remaining 48 Israeli hostages it holds within 72 hours of a ceasefire taking effect. In return, Israel would release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including many serving life sentences. It is estimated that fewer than half of the remaining hostages are alive.
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Disarmament and Demilitarization: The plan mandates the complete disarmament of Hamas and other militant factions in Gaza, a core Israeli objective.
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Post-War Governance: In a highly unorthodox move, the plan proposes that Gaza be placed under a technocratic transitional authority. Notably, President Trump himself would head this authority, which would oversee administration and a massive reconstruction effort. Hamas would be explicitly banned from any future political role.
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Israeli Withdrawal and Security: Following the hostage release and disarmament, Israeli military forces would gradually withdraw from populated areas to a buffer zone along the Gaza perimeter. An international security force, likely composed of troops from Arab and Muslim nations, would be deployed to maintain order and train a new Palestinian police force.
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Humanitarian Surge: The deal promises an immediate and significant surge in humanitarian aid to address the catastrophic levels of hunger and disease in Gaza, where health authorities report at least 453 deaths from malnutrition.
A Unified Front with Israel
President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu presented a united front, emphasizing that Israel would have Washington’s “full backing” if Hamas reneges or rejects the proposal.
“If Hamas rejects your plan… or if they supposedly accept it and then basically do everything to counter it, then Israel will finish the job by itself,” Netanyahu told Trump during the press conference.
In Israel, the plan received broad, though not universal, political and media support. Commentators highlighted what they saw as significant concessions secured by Netanyahu, particularly the continued presence of the Israeli military in “most of the Gaza Strip,” as the Prime Minister later clarified in a video statement. However, far-right ministers in his coalition, such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, denounced the plan as a “resounding diplomatic failure” and vowed to quit the government if the offensive halts without achieving “total victory.”
Regional and International Reactions
The international community, weary of previous failed ceasefire attempts, largely rallied behind the proposal.
Key regional powers, including Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar—which often act as intermediaries with Hamas—issued a joint statement with Pakistan, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia expressing support and a willingness to work constructively with the U.S. European leaders, including Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz and France’s President Emmanuel Macron, also welcomed the initiative, with Macron praising Trump’s “commitment to ending the war.”
The Palestinian Authority (PA), which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, cautiously welcomed Trump’s “sincere and determined efforts,” seeing a potential pathway to a future role in Gaza.
However, Hamas and its allies were deeply skeptical. A source close to Hamas told Reuters the plan was “completely biased to Israel” and imposed “impossible conditions” aimed at the group’s elimination. The allied faction Islamic Jihad stated the proposal would encourage further aggression, arguing, “Through this, Israel is attempting – via the United States – to impose what it could not achieve through war.”
A Grim Backdrop of Ongoing Violence
The high-stakes diplomatic maneuvering unfolded against a backdrop of intense and deadly violence on the ground. As talks were underway, Israeli tanks advanced deeper into Gaza City amid heavy bombardment.
In a particularly deadly incident, Al-Awda hospital reported that Israeli troops opened fire on Palestinians attempting to access humanitarian aid in the Israeli-controlled Netzarim corridor, killing 17 and wounding 33. Later strikes on central Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp and on tents housing displaced families in the coastal area of Muwasi killed at least 11 more people, according to local hospitals.
The Israeli military, in a statement, said its troops had killed several armed militants and struck over 160 targets in the past 24 hours but did not immediately comment on the specific shooting or strikes.
The war, which began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed 1,219 people and saw over 250 taken hostage, has exacted a staggering toll. According to Palestinian health authorities, Israel’s subsequent offensive has killed 66,055 Palestinians, injured more than 160,000, and reduced much of the territory to rubble, with famine declared in parts of Gaza last month.
As the 72-hour clock ticks down, the world now waits to see if Hamas will accept a plan that demands its own dissolution or choose to fight on, risking a potentially even more destructive phase of the conflict with full U.S. support behind Israel.
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