TRUMP’S GAZA PLAN IS THE BEST CHANCE TO END THIS WAR
The Trump plan represents the best hope so far for ending the war in Gaza, giving some prospect of normality and prosperity for the people of Gaza and of developing a sustainable peace in the wider Middle East.
It has also completely turned the tables on Hamas. With Israel and Arab countries on board, the ball is now entirely in Hamas’s court and their response will show the world what many of us have long known: it is not Israel that has kept this war going but Hamas. War or peace is in their hands as it has been from the start.
We will have to see which path they take. But if anything, now is the time not just for Arab countries but for Western nations to step up to the mark. Those that are in a position to do so need to pile the pressure on to Hamas and give them no quarter. We need to hear no more encouragement of Hamas, no more rewarding them by recognizing a Palestinian state and no more unjust lashing out against Israel.
Instead Hamas need to be forced to understand they are isolated and no longer have any friends. If that kind of action had been taken from the beginning we might have been where we are long before now with many lives saved.
The only reason we have finally got to this potential turning point is Israel’s unrelenting prosecution of its defensive war. Those who argued for an earlier withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza, such as Britain’s PM Keir Starmer, would have seen merely a temporary cessation with an inevitable return to violence.
Israel’s offensive against Hamas in Rafah, its seizure of the border with Egypt and its current assault in Gaza City have all made major contributions to the current possibility of peace. Absent such overwhelming military pressure there is no chance that Hamas would even consider going along with this deal.
The IDF strikes against Iran, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Hamas in Qatar, as well as the far-reaching repercussions in Syria, have also been pivotal.
Not only have they helped isolate and degrade Hamas, they have also very clearly demonstrated to the world Prime Minister Netanyahu’s unshakeable resolve in defending his country. There is no doubt that played a major role in persuading the Arab countries and Turkey to get on board with Trump’s plan.
The proposals meet all of Israel’s long-standing objectives for this war. Hamas will be defeated and disarmed, the hostages will be returned, Hamas will have no governing function in Gaza and the territory will no longer present a threat to Israel.
Indeed the main elements of the plan have been under discussion in Jerusalem almost since the beginning of the war. It effectively amounts to the Netanyahu government’s own original plan and clearly illustrates the extent of cooperation and rapport with the Trump Administration.
Some of the previously leaked provisions of the 20 point plan have been adjusted, no doubt following close discussions in the last few days.
Inevitably for such a major proposal there are many unknowns, a plethora of details to resolve and numerous loose ends to tie up.
And of course there are some issues that will be unpalatable in some quarters within Israel, not least the agreement for release and amnesty for Hamas terrorists including some who took part in the 7th October slaughter. A role for the Palestinian Authority is also envisaged, something previously excluded by Netanyahu.
However that has been conditioned on fundamental reform of the PA including an end to their incentivisation of terrorism, anti-Israel radicalization, prosecution of legal warfare and opposition to the existence of the Jewish State. The likelihood of such reform is hard to envisage but if not that means, under the plan, they will be excluded from any role in Gaza.
We await Hamas’s response. Even if they do go along with it, we can also expect them to procrastinate and renege on whatever they do agree.
The chances of Hamas effectively capitulating may not be high, especially if there is not hard pressure placed upon them by their international allies including Qatar and Turkey.
If Hamas does resist this historic diplomatic overture, in either the immediate or medium term, then Israel will retain the right to finish them off on the battlefield with full US backing. As Netanyahu said in Washington yesterday, this war can either be ended the easy way or the hard way.
Col. Richard Kemp is a retired British Army officer. He chairs the UK Friends of the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel’s Soldiers (UK-AWIS).
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President Donald J. Trump’s Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict:
1. Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors.
2. Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough.
3. If both sides agree to this proposal, the war will immediately end. Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed upon line to prepare for a hostage release. During this time, all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment, will be suspended, and battle lines will remain frozen until conditions are met for the complete staged withdrawal.
4. Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.
5. Once all hostages are released, Israel will release 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1700 Gazans who were detained after October 7th 2023, including all women and children detained in that context. For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans.
6. Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries.
7. Upon acceptance of this agreement, full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip. At a minimum, aid quantities will be consistent with what was included in the January 19, 2025, agreement regarding humanitarian aid, including rehabilitation of infrastructure (water, electricity, sewage), rehabilitation of hospitals and bakeries, and entry of necessary equipment to remove rubble and open roads.
8. Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in addition to other international institutions not associated in any manner with either party. Opening the Rafah crossing in both directions will be subject to the same mechanism implemented under the January 19, 2025 agreement.
9. Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the “Board of Peace,” which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with other members and heads of State to be announced, including Former Prime Minister Tony Blair.
This body will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump’s peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French proposal, and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza. This body will call on best international standards to create modern and efficient governance that serves the people of Gaza and is conducive to attracting investment.
10. A Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energize Gaza will be created by convening a panel of experts who have helped birth some of the thriving modern miracle cities in the Middle East. Many thoughtful investment proposals and exciting development ideas have been crafted by well-meaning international groups, and will be considered to synthesize the security and governance frameworks to attract and facilitate these investments that will create jobs, opportunity, and hope for future Gaza.
11. A special economic zone will be established with preferred tariff and access rates to be negotiated with participating countries.
12. No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return. We will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.
13. Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form. All military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt. There will be a process of demilitarization of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use through an agreed process of decommissioning, and supported by an internationally funded buy back and reintegration program all verified by the independent monitors. New Gaza will be fully committed to building a prosperous economy and to peaceful coexistence with their neighbors.
14. A guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas, and the factions, comply with their obligations and that New Gaza poses no threat to its neighbors or its people.
15. The United States will work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) to immediately deploy in Gaza. The ISF will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza, and will consult with Jordan and Egypt who have extensive experience in this field. This force will be the long-term internal security solution. The ISF will work with Israel and Egypt to help secure border areas, along with newly trained Palestinian police forces. It is critical to prevent munitions from entering Gaza and to facilitate the rapid and secure flow of goods to rebuild and revitalize Gaza. A deconfliction mechanism will be agreed upon by the parties.
16. Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza. As the ISF establishes control and stability, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will withdraw based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed upon between the IDF, ISF, the guarantors, and the Unites States, with the objective of a secure Gaza that no longer poses a threat to Israel, Egypt, or its citizens.
Practically, the IDF will progressively hand over the Gaza territory it occupies to the ISF according to an agreement they will make with the transitional authority until they are withdrawn completely from Gaza, save for a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat.
17. In the event Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, the above, including the scaled-up aid operation, will proceed in the terror-free areas handed over from the IDF to the ISF.
18. An interfaith dialogue process will be established based on the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence to try and change mindsets and narratives of Palestinians and Israelis by emphasizing the benefits that can be derived from peace.
19. While Gaza re-development advances and when the PA reform program is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.
20. The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence.
21. Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza has been accepted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while as of Tuesday afternoon 9/30 Hamas is yet to issue an official response.