Gaza Peace Plan: Trump-Netanyahu Agreement Requires Hamas Disarmament for Ceasefire and Reconstruction

Under the proposal, Hamas would be required to disarm in exchange for cessation of hostilities.

Following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's endorsement of the US peace plan for Gaza, attention now shifts to whether Hamas will accept the terms.

Hamas faces a difficult decision – the proposal essentially requires their surrender in exchange for uncertain benefits. However, rejecting the deal could result in the US giving Israel greater latitude to continue its military campaign in the already devastated territory.

The proposal mandates Hamas disarmament in return for ending the conflict, providing humanitarian assistance to Palestinians, and promising reconstruction in Gaza – all desperately needed by the local population.

The plan offers only a vague suggestion that Palestinian statehood might eventually be possible. For the immediate future, Gaza and its more than 2 million residents would be placed under international oversight. An international security force would be deployed, and a "Board of Peace" led by Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair would manage Gaza's administration and reconstruction efforts. Israeli troops would continue to surround the territory.

Trump and Netanyahu announced their agreement on the plan Monday following discussions at the White House.

The proposal contains a provision strongly opposed by Netanyahu and his hard-line government: it indicates the Palestinian Authority will eventually govern Gaza. However, Netanyahu likely calculates this will never materialize. Israel also continues to oppose any Palestinian state.

The White House released the 20-point proposal text on Monday. Here are the key details:

The plan calls for immediate cessation of hostilities. Within 72 hours, Hamas must release all hostages, whether alive or deceased. Hamas currently holds 48 hostages – Israel believes 20 remain alive.

In exchange, Israel would release 250 Palestinians serving life sentences and 1,700 people detained from Gaza since the war began, including all women and children. Israel would also return the bodies of 15 Palestinians for each hostage body returned.

The plan requires Israeli troop withdrawal, but only after Hamas disarms and as international security forces deploy to areas vacated by Israeli forces.

Israel would maintain a "security perimeter presence" – ambiguous terminology that might indicate a buffer zone inside Gaza.

These conditions could meet resistance from Hamas, which has stated it will not release all hostages without a "clear declaration" that the war will end and Israel will completely withdraw from Gaza.

Hamas would be excluded from Gaza's administration, and all its military infrastructure – including tunnels – would be dismantled. Members who commit to peaceful coexistence would receive amnesty, and those wishing to leave Gaza would be permitted to do so.

The international security force would ensure Hamas disarmament and maintain order. It would also train Palestinian police to assume law enforcement responsibilities. Egypt, as a mediator, has reported training thousands of Palestinian police for deployment to Gaza.

Meanwhile, substantial humanitarian aid would be allowed into Gaza, administered by "neutral international bodies" including the UN and Red Crescent. Whether the Gaza Humanitarian Fund, a controversial alternative food distribution system supported by Israel and the US, would continue operations remains unclear.

The plan explicitly states Palestinians will not be expelled from Gaza and promises international efforts to rebuild the territory for Palestinians.

This clarification addresses Palestinian fears of mass expulsion following statements from both Trump and the Israeli government about relocating Gaza's population – ostensibly "voluntarily" – and redeveloping the area as an international real estate venture.

An interim administration of Palestinian technocrats would manage daily affairs in Gaza, overseen by the "Board of Peace." The board would also supervise reconstruction funding, potentially granting it significant control over Gaza's governance since rebuilding the nearly destroyed territory represents its greatest challenge.

During this interim period, the Palestinian Authority would implement reforms to eventually assume control of Gaza.

The plan makes only a slight reference to statehood, stating that if the Palestinian Authority reforms adequately and Gaza's redevelopment progresses, "the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood."

Qatar's prime minister and Egypt's intelligence chief presented the 20-point plan to Hamas negotiators Monday evening. Hamas representatives indicated they would review it in good faith and provide a response.

Hamas has previously rejected disarmament, asserting its right to resistance until Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories ends.

Arab nations appear supportive of the framework. Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates issued a joint statement commending Trump's proposal.

Netanyahu may face opposition from within his ultranationalist coalition.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a member of Netanyahu's security Cabinet, published his "red lines" on X on Monday. Primary among these, he wrote, any agreement must prevent Palestinian Authority involvement in Gaza and block a Palestinian state. Smotrich represents the more vocal right-wing faction of Netanyahu's coalition that has previously threatened to leave the government if Netanyahu halts Gaza operations.

Netanyahu potentially sees a loophole. The proposal makes Palestinian Authority involvement in Gaza contingent upon completing internal reforms. While the PA has pledged to implement these reforms and welcomed Trump's plan to end the war, Netanyahu expressed doubt during his remarks with Trump about the PA's ability to successfully complete them.