Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s endorsement of the US peace plan for Gaza has raised the question of whether Hamas will accept the deal.
Hamas is presented with a difficult dilemma: the proposal requires the group to disarm in exchange for vague promises of humanitarian aid and potential reconstruction. However, rejecting the deal might result in increased Israeli military action, with the support of the US.
The plan calls for Hamas to relinquish its weapons in return for halting the fighting, providing humanitarian aid, and the promise of rebuilding Gaza.
Yet, the plan offers little more than a distant hope for Palestinian statehood.
Gaza and its 2 million residents would come under international control for the foreseeable future, overseen by a “Board of Peace” comprising US President Donald Trump and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. This board would supervise Gaza’s administration and reconstruction efforts. The region would still be surrounded by Israeli forces.
Trump and Netanyahu confirmed their agreement on the plan during discussions at the White House on Monday.
A key feature of the proposal is the eventual governance of Gaza by the Palestinian Authority (PA), a provision that Netanyahu’s government strongly opposes, as Israel rejects the creation of a Palestinian state. Nonetheless, Netanyahu is likely betting that PA control of Gaza will not materialise.
The White House released the detailed 20-point proposal on Monday, which outlines immediate steps. All hostilities would cease, and within 72 hours, Hamas would release all 48 hostages, of whom 20 are believed to be alive.
In exchange, Israel would free 250 Palestinians serving life sentences and 1,700 detainees, including all women and children. Additionally, Israel would return the bodies of 15 Palestinians for every hostage’s body returned.
The plan also envisions an Israeli troop withdrawal, but only after Hamas disarms and an international security force is deployed to fill the vacuum. Israel would retain a “security perimeter presence”—a vague term that may suggest the maintenance of a buffer zone inside Gaza.
Hamas has insisted that it will not release all hostages unless there is a “clear declaration” that hostilities will cease and Israeli forces will withdraw from Gaza entirely.
The group has also rejected any involvement in Gaza’s governance and demands the dismantling of its military infrastructure, including tunnels. Members who commit to peaceful living would be granted amnesty, while others could leave Gaza.
The international security force would supervise the disarmament of Hamas, maintain order, and train Palestinian police to eventually take control of law enforcement. Egypt has reported that it is preparing thousands of Palestinian police for deployment to Gaza.
Meanwhile, humanitarian aid would flow into Gaza, managed by “neutral international bodies”, including the United Nations and the Red Crescent. It remains unclear whether the Gaza Humanitarian Fund, a controversial aid mechanism supported by Israel and the US, would continue operating.
The plan assures that Palestinians will not be expelled from Gaza, and international efforts would aim to rebuild the territory. Fears of mass expulsion have been fuelled by previous remarks from Trump and the Israeli government about relocating Gaza’s population in what they claimed a “voluntary” manner, and constructing a type of international real estate venture on the strip.
In the interim, Gaza’s day-to-day administration would be handled by Palestinian technocrats, under the supervision of the “Board of Peace.” This board would also manage funding for Gaza’s reconstruction, a responsibility that would give it significant influence over the region’s governance as it has been almost entirely destroyed by Israel. During this period, the Palestinian Authority would undergo reforms, enabling it to eventually govern Gaza.
The plan acknowledges the possibility of Palestinian statehood, stating that if the Palestinian Authority’s reforms succeed and Gaza is rebuilt, the conditions for a “credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood” may be established.
The 20-point plan was presented to Hamas negotiators by Qatari and Egyptian officials on Monday evening. Hamas representatives indicated that they would review the proposal in good faith before issuing a response.
Hamas has rejected the disarmament clause, maintaining its right to resist until Israel ends its occupation of Palestinian lands.
The proposal has garnered support from several countries, including Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkiye, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, who collectively issued a statement endorsing Trump’s plan.
However, Netanyahu could face resistance within his own ultra-nationalist coalition.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a prominent member of Netanyahu’s government, posted a list of “red lines” on social media, emphasising that any agreement must exclude the Palestinian Authority’s involvement in Gaza and must prevent the creation of a Palestinian state. Smotrich and other hard-line allies have previously threatened to leave the government if Netanyahu halts the Gaza conflict.
While Netanyahu remains hopeful that the Palestinian Authority’s involvement will never successfully occur, the proposal’s conditional clause, requiring the PA to undertake reforms, may provide him with a political exit strategy.
