ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US President Donald Trump on Monday unveiled a “comprehensive plan” aimed at ending the near two-year-long war in Gaza, which includes the release of all Israeli hostages within 72 hours, and the demilitarization of the Palestinian enclave, alongside the exclusion of the Palestinian movement Hamas from any future political role in Gaza.
In a joint presser with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House - attended by Rudaw - Trump thanked the Israeli premier for “agreeing to the plan” to end the war in Gaza and achieve “peace in the Middle East.”
Trump detailed that the proposal entails the “immediate disarmament of Hamas," and the destruction of all of its "military infrastructure." It further requires the immediate release of all Israeli hostages - alive or deceased - within 72 hours of both parties accepting the deal.
"If Hamas rejects this agreement, [Israeli PM] Netanyahu will have our full support to do what needs to be done," Trump warned.
For his part, Netanyahu, expressed support for Trump’s plan to end the Gaza war, highlighting its framework for a new administration in Gaza that excludes both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
The current war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise incursion into southern Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and taking approximately 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
Of those, 47 hostages remain in Gaza, including 25 who the Israeli military believes are dead.
Israel responded with a widescale military campaign in Gaza, which the health ministry in Gaza says has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians to date.
Trump’s plan
The Trump-Netanyahu presser was held less than an hour after White House released a 20-point plan, detailing the framework for an immediate end to the war, a swift hostage release, and a new post-conflict structure for governing Gaza.
The plan notes that if the Israeli and Palestinian sides “agree to this proposal, the war will immediately end.” The latter includes a suspension of all military operations in Gaza and a withdrawal of Israeli forces to an agreed-upon line.
The deal is notably conditioned on a 72-hour timeline from Israel’s publicly accepting the agreement, after which, “all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.
"Once all [Israeli] hostages are released, Israel will release 250 life sentence [Palestinian] prisoners plus 1700 Gazans who were detained after October 7th 2023, including all women and children detained in that context.”
In terms of remains, the plan notes that "for every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans."
As for the post-war governance and demilitarization of the Palestinian enclave, the plan explains that the core objective of the proposal is to ensure that "Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors."
The plan explicitly blocks the Palestinian movement Hamas from any future political role, stating, "Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form."
It further mandates the destruction of “all military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt."
Hamas members “who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty,” and “members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries,” the proposal added.
Meanwhile, the temporary governance structure will be led by a Palestinian technical committee, overseen by a new international body.
As for administration, "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."
This committee's supervision will fall to a new international transitional body, named the "Board of Peace," which "will be headed and chaired” by the US President, Trump, along with “other members and heads of state to be announced, including Former [British] Prime Minister Tony Blair."
The proposal commits to rebuilding the Strip, adding that the economic recovery will be driven by a "Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energize Gaza" and the establishment of a special economic zone.
The plan adds that upon its acceptance, “full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip," and its distribution will proceed "without interference from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent."
Regarding the future status of the territory, the plan states, "Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza,” and the Israeli forces will withdraw progressively as “a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF)” deploys to maintain security.
The plan concludes that its ultimate goal is to establish a secure Gaza "that no longer poses a threat to Israel, Egypt, or its citizens."
Additionally, the US committed to establishing a dialogue to agree on a political horizon for peaceful coexistence, with the potential for "a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood" once reforms are completed by the Palestinian Authority.