US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled a 20-point plan on September 29 to end the Gaza war.
Trump developed the plan with Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey after an Israeli strike on Doha nearly killed Hamas negotiators.
The failed attack violated Qatar’s sovereignty and pushed Trump to pressure Israel into accepting a ceasefire.
Freed from earlier political constraints, Trump used his second term to demand an end to Israel’s military campaign.
By early October, Israel and Hamas had signed the plan’s first phase, which outlined steps for peace and stability.
Phase One: Ceasefire and Prisoner Exchange
The deal’s first stage orders an immediate halt to all military operations and a freeze of frontlines across Gaza.
Hamas must release every Israeli hostage—alive or deceased—within 72 hours of the agreement’s activation.
In return, Israel will release 250 life-term prisoners and 1,700 Palestinians detained since the war began.
The phase focuses on urgent humanitarian relief, including medical aid, shelter, and food delivery to civilians.
Phase Two and Three: Disarmament, Security, and Reconstruction
Negotiators will begin Phase Two once hostages are freed, targeting Hamas’s military structures and weapons for elimination.
The plan envisions Gaza as a “de-radicalized, terror-free zone” posing no threat to neighboring states.
Hamas members who renounce violence may receive amnesty or safe exile abroad.
A multinational stabilization force of US, Arab, and European personnel will manage security and train a new Palestinian police unit.
Phase Three creates a transitional administration led by Palestinian technocrats under international oversight to rebuild Gaza’s infrastructure.
Aid distribution will fall under the supervision of the UN and Red Crescent to prevent corruption and ensure fairness.
The plan proposes recognizing Palestine as a state if reconstruction succeeds and reforms occur within the Palestinian Authority.
An international “Board of Peace,” chaired by Trump and including Tony Blair, will oversee Gaza’s transition and governance.
Although the plan acknowledges the Palestinian aspiration for statehood, the US has not pledged formal recognition.
Prime Minister Netanyahu reaffirmed on September 30 that no Palestinian state would emerge under Trump’s peace framework.
