Most of the world indicated approval for President Donald Trump’s 21-point plan to bring to an end the almost two-year-long conflict between Israel and Hamas and reshape the Gaza Strip, as many analysts questioned the future of the initiative.
Trump unveiled on 29th Sept. the plan, which calls for Hamas to disarm and surrender, and the gradual withdrawal of the Israeli Defense Forces from Gaza. It further entails an interim authority headed by Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the deployment of a security force that will occupy Israeli-held territories and train a vetted Palestinian police force.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signed on to the plan despite Israeli troops mounting attacks on Gaza, killing no fewer than 30 individuals on Tuesday, according to medical sources cited by Al Jazeera. The Palestinian Authority, which partially governs the Israeli-occupied West Bank, stated that it respected Trump’s initiatives and promised to make reforms that would enable it to resume governance. A top Hamas official informed the Associated Press that the organization would start reviewing the offer, which it had received from Mideast mediators Egypt and Qatar, before it could reply.
The offer has arrived in the midst of long-standing demands for a ceasefire and increased global denunciation of Israel’s shelling of the enclave, which a number of international bodies and humanitarian organizations argue constitutes genocide. Over 66,000 Palestinians have been killed, the Health Ministry of Gaza reports. Without independent observation on the ground, the ministry is the sole source for casualty figures drawn upon by humanitarian organizations, journalists, and international organizations. Its statistics do not distinguish between civilians and combatants and cannot be independently confirmed by TIME.
Statistics provided by the IDF indicate an 83% rate of Palestinian civilian fatalities. The conflict started after the terror attack by Hamas on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, when more than 1,200 people were killed and approximately 250 hostages were taken. Nearly 2,000 Israelis, both civilians and fighters, have been massacred in the conflict, including the killing on Oct. 7.
Already, numerous world leaders have adopted the plan and called upon Hamas to sign up for it.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed in a tweet on X that he appreciates Trump’s “dedication to ending the war in Gaza and the freedom of all hostages.”
“I hope Israel will commit steadfastly on this basis. Hamas has no choice but to release all hostages at once and adopt this plan,” he continued. “These components must open the way to thorough negotiations with all concerned partners to construct a durable peace in the region, on the basis of the two-state solution and on the principles supported by 142 UN member states, at the initiative of France and Saudi Arabia.
This month, France, together with the U.K., Australia, Canada, Malta, and Portugal, officially declared recognition of a sovereign Palestinian state.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also welcomed the plan. “We urge all parties to unite and work with the U.S. Administration to agree and put this deal into action. Hamas must now embrace the plan and bring an end to the suffering by disarming and freeing all remaining hostages,” he said in a statement.
Spanish President Pedro Sanchez, a harsh critic of Israel, tweeted on X, ” Spain welcomes the peace proposal for Gaza advanced by the United States.. The two-state solution, Israel and Palestine, side by side, living in peace and security, is the only one possible.”
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated the “ambitious” plan could be a “turning point” for an enduring ceasefire, and called upon Hamas to endorse its terms. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz referred to the initiative as the “best opportunity” to bring about the end of the war and stated that he met with the families of German hostages being held by Hamas on Tuesday.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday stated that Trump’s plan “offers a feasible way to long-term and sustainable peace, security and development for the Palestinian and Israeli people, as also for the wider West Asian subcontinent.”
Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt’s foreign ministers also welcomed the offer in a joint statement. The declaration highlighted the proposal’s conditions to “prevent the displacement of the Palestinian people and promote a comprehensive peace, as well as [Trump’s] declaration that he will not permit the annexation of the West Bank.” It also expressed the necessity for “unfettered delivery of adequate humanitarian assistance to Gaza” and Israel’s complete withdrawal of troops to reach a two-state solution, under which Gaza is completely integrated with the West Bank in a Palestinian state.
But others have argued that Trump’s offer is heavily in Israel’s favor and contains provisions that Hamas said are unacceptable.
“It’s an attempt to provide American-sponsored political cover for the continuation of genocide in Gaza, at a time where the entire world is rejecting that,” Yousef Munayyer, director of the Palestine-Israel program at the Arab Center in Washington, said in a Bloomberg interview.
One or two Israeli officials have gone so far as to say so. Knesset member Moshe Saada told Jewish News Syndicate news agency that the offer contained terms for Hamas that “we know it cannot do, like releasing all the hostages without getting anything in return and disarming,” which would grant Israel “a green light to keep destroying Hamas, keep occupying Gaza City, and permit voluntary emigration out of Gaza.”
Inside Israel, most officials welcomed the plan. Israeli President Isaac Herzog described the plan as “bringing real hope for the rescue of the hostages, for the security of Israel, for the end to the war, and for altering reality in the Gaza Strip and the Middle East toward a new era of regional and international cooperation.” I support the plan and demand its implementation at once.” Israeli Democrats Chairman Yair Golan promised “complete security assistance” for the plan, but added that “we will only be rejoicing and celebrating when we see all the hostages home.” Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana seemed to boast about relations between Netanyahu and Trump, sharing a photo of them during the news briefing for the plan with the caption, “Yes, another league ????????????????”. Knesset member Avichay Buaron tweeted on X, “This is what absolute victory looks like!
” Most Israeli opposition leaders, who had criticized Netanyahu for his military shelling of Gaza, also backed the plan.
But analysts noted that even if the plan manages to win over Hamas—who would probably remove considerable pressure from Qatar, Turkey, and other mediators—it’s hardly a reality, particularly after an earlier ceasefire deal collapsed earlier this year when Israel went back on military operations.
Michael Koplow, Israel Policy Forum’s chief policy officer, tweeted on X, “Trump behaves as if this is a fait accompli for political reasons, Bibi reminds everyone that it is very far from over for political reasons, and now comes the much more difficult part of bringing Hamas on board and then surmounting all of the hazards of Israeli politics.”
Certain Israeli officials have maintained a position contrary to a two-state solution, which the U.N. and the majority of Western nations have supported. Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi described the offer as “peace through strength—surrender or be destroyed,” JNS reported, and pledged that “a Palestinian state will never arise in the land of our forefathers!”
The language of the proposal mentions the potential for Palestinian statehood and self-determination after some “conditions may finally be in place.” Knesset member Amit Halevi explained to JNS that the plan “is not a realistic agreement” due to that potential. Rather, he said, the only solution that would not be “a disaster for Israel’s future” is complete IDF control of the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu also stated in a video message published on his Telegram channel on Tuesday that the Israeli army “will stay in the vast majority of the Gaza Strip,” seemingly contradicting the language of the proposal, which prevents Israel from annexing or occupying Gaza and outlines a phased but full withdrawal of the Israeli military.
Aaron David Miller, a Carnegie senior fellow and former State Department analyst, stated, “Netanyahu played this smart. Close enough by redefining Trump’s plan within his own needs and constraints. Even if Hamas accepts, the amount of negotiating, arguing, and politicking will take weeks, if not months, with no clear outcome.”
U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff told Fox News, “We have so much widespread support from all of the Gulf Coast Arab countries. We have widespread support from the Europeans.”
We have tremendous support for the plan, tremendous buy-in,” Witkoff stated. “Do we have some details to iron out? Yes, but you know President Trump as well as I do—with that determination of his, everyone’s going to be pushed by him, and I think we’re going to make it to the finish line.
