Trump Releases Sweeping 20-Point Plan to End Gaza War, Includes Demilitarization and ‘Credible Path’ to Palestinian Statehood

President Donald Trump unveiled Monday a comprehensive 20-point plan aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza, securing the release of all hostages, and outlining a detailed roadmap for the region’s governance and reconstruction, which would include demilitarization, Hamas leaving, and an eventual path to Palestinian statehood. The proposal calls for an immediate ceasefire and establishes a new international body to oversee Gaza’s transition.

The plan was well received by Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which both pressured Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to accept the proposal. Trump says that his Israeli counterpart has done so. “I thank Netanyahu for agreeing to the plan and for being willing to start a new chapter in the Middle East,” Trump said.

The plan begins with two foundational goals. First, that “Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors.” Second, it stipulates that “Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough.”

With these principles established, the third step details the mechanics of an immediate ceasefire if both sides agree. Israeli forces would withdraw to an agreed-upon line and suspend all military operations while battle lines “remain frozen until conditions are met for the complete staged withdrawal.”

The fourth and fifth points address hostages and prisoners. Within 72 hours of Israel’s public acceptance, “all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.” Subsequently, Israel will release 250 prisoners serving life sentences and 1,700 Gazans detained after October 7, 2023.

The sixth point outlines terms for Hamas members, offering amnesty to those who “commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons.” Those who wish to leave Gaza will be “provided safe passage to receiving countries.”

Steps seven and eight focus on humanitarian aid. Upon acceptance, full aid will be “immediately sent into the Gaza Strip,” including resources for rehabilitating infrastructure, hospitals, and bakeries. Aid distribution will proceed without interference through the United Nations and other international institutions.

The ninth point details a comprehensive governance plan. Gaza would be run by a “temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee.” This committee’s work would be overseen by a new international body, the “Board of Peace,” which the plan states will be “headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump,” with other leaders like former Prime Minister Tony Blair also participating. This body would manage redevelopment until a reformed Palestinian Authority can “securely and effectively take back control of Gaza.”

The economic future of Gaza is covered in the tenth and eleventh points. The plan calls for a “Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energize Gaza” created by a panel of experts. This includes establishing a “special economic zone with preferred tariff and access rates.”

The twelfth point addresses the rights of residents, stating, “No one will be forced to leave Gaza,” and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and return.

Next, the thirteenth and fourteenth points return to security. Hamas is to have “no role in the governance of Gaza,” and all military infrastructure must be destroyed. This demilitarization process would be supervised by independent monitors and supported by an “internationally funded buy back and reintegration program.” Regional partners would provide a guarantee to ensure compliance.

The fifteenth and sixteenth points detail the security transition. The U.S. will help develop a temporary “International Stabilization Force (ISF)” to deploy in Gaza and train a vetted Palestinian police force. The plan affirms that “Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza.” The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would then progressively hand over territory to the ISF until they are fully withdrawn, leaving only a security perimeter.
The seventeenth point provides a contingency: “In the event Hamas delays or rejects this proposal,” the plan, including aid, will “proceed in the terror-free areas handed over from the IDF to the ISF.”

Finally, the plan outlines a vision for a lasting peace. The eighteenth step calls for an “interfaith dialogue process based on the values of tolerance.” The nineteenth suggests that these efforts could create the conditions for “a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.” The twentieth and final step concludes that the United States will “establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence.”