In a dramatic show of unified resolve, U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled a comprehensive new peace proposal for Gaza on Monday, delivering an immediate and stark ultimatum to the Hamas militant group: accept the terms to end the conflict or face the full force of a final Israeli offensive with unconditional American backing.
Following a pivotal meeting at the White House, the two leaders presented a 20-point plan they called a decisive path to security and stability. While President Trump declared the deal “beyond very close,” Prime Minister Netanyahu’s words were laced with menace for the rulers of Gaza.
“If Hamas rejects your plan, Mr. President, or if they supposedly accept it and then basically do everything to counter it, then Israel will finish the job by itself,” Netanyahu stated at a joint press conference, adding, “This can be done the easy way or it can be done the hard way, but it will be done.”
President Trump echoed the warning, affirming that if Hamas refused the deal, Israel would have “our full backing to do what you would have to do” to “finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas.”
The Core of the 20-Point Plan
The proposal, which has been circulated among regional partners, is an ambitious framework that seeks to achieve Israel’s core war aims while providing a pathway for Gaza’s reconstruction:
- Immediate Ceasefire and Hostage Release: The plan calls for an immediate end to all military operations and the return of all remaining Israeli hostages, living or deceased, within 72 hours of Israel’s public acceptance. In return, Israel would release a significant number of Palestinian prisoners.
- Hamas Disarmament and Exclusion: The deal explicitly demands the complete disarmament of Hamas, the destruction of all its military infrastructure (including tunnels), and a renunciation of any future role in the governance of Gaza. Hamas members who agree to peaceful coexistence would be granted amnesty; others would be offered safe passage to receiving countries.
- Transitional Governance: The plan bypasses the current Palestinian Authority, establishing a “Board of Peace”—a new international body to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction and a temporary, technocratic Palestinian committee to run daily public services. Critically, President Trump announced that he himself would chair this new oversight board, which would also include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
- Economic Reconstruction and Security: It promises a major “Trump economic development plan” to rebuild the devastated territory and includes provisions for a special economic zone. On the security front, Israel would withdraw its forces in stages as a Temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) deploys to oversee security.
- A Path to Statehood: While Prime Minister Netanyahu remains publicly opposed to a Palestinian state, the U.S. plan carefully notes that “conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian Statehood” once all political and demilitarization reforms are faithfully carried out.
Netanyahu’s Political Coup
For Prime Minister Netanyahu, whose government has faced growing international isolation, the agreement is a major political victory. He enthusiastically endorsed the proposal, stating it “achieves our war aims” by guaranteeing the return of hostages, dismantling Hamas, and ensuring Gaza “never again poses a threat to Israel.”
The joint announcement puts the focus squarely on the militant group. With the plan already reportedly presented to Hamas officials in Doha via mediators, the ball is now in their court. If they reject the terms—especially the demand to disarm and relinquish power—the U.S. has signaled an unprecedented green light for a final Israeli operation, shifting the burden of responsibility for the war’s continuation directly onto the militant organization.
The ultimatum has set the stage for one of the most consequential decisions of the conflict, holding the future of a decimated Gaza and the fate of remaining hostages in the balance. The world now waits for Hamas’s reply to the proposal that the White House has framed as the only choice left between peace and annihilation.