Trump’s Gaza Ceasefire Plan Receives Global Support, As Hamas Mulls Acceptance 

Hamas and other Palestinian factions are considering US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza, a proposal that drew broad international support even as some observers remain skeptical over its implementation and whether it will guarantee Palestinian statehood, CBS News reported. 

On Monday, Trump unveiled a 20-point plan at the White House alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has agreed to the proposal, even as he insisted that there will be an Israeli security presence in Gaza for the foreseeable future, contradicting the plan.  

The proposal calls for an immediate ceasefire that, once accepted, will see the release of all hostages taken in the Gaza Strip within 72 hours, the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, and a sharp increase in humanitarian aid to the devastated enclave. 

It will also see the eventual transfer of Gaza’s administration to a technocratic Palestinian interim authority overseen by an international “Board of Peace” chaired by Trump and including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. 

Israel would retain perimeter security control, with Netanyahu saying Israeli troops would remain in most of Gaza until the hostages were released. Trump warned Hamas that it had “three or four days” to respond and that rejection would mean Washington giving Israel a free hand to “finish the job.” 

Some Hamas officials initially balked at the proposal, which would also require the group to lay down weapons, a demand it has previously rejected. Ismail Al-Thawabta, head of Gaza’s Hamas-run government media office, called the plan an “attempt to impose a new form of guardianship” on the besieged enclave, according to NBC News. 

Even so, Hamas said Tuesday it is studying the plan and will issue an official response to Egyptian and Qatari mediators on Wednesday. 

The proposal drew regional and international support and comes as the war in Gaza is reaching its two-year mark early next month.  

The conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas and its allies launched an attack in southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and kidnapping more than 250 others. Israel’s response has resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis that has seen tens of thousands displaced, resulted in a famine, and killed at least 66,000 people, according to Gazan health officials. 

Muslim-majority nations, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, and Indonesia, issued a joint statement praising Trump’s “sincere efforts to end the war in Gaza” and asserting their “confidence in his ability to find a path to peace.” 

European leaders also backed the deal and urged Hamas to agree to the plan. Supporters include France and the United Kingdom, which formally recognized Palestinian statehood last month. 

The Palestinian Authority also expressed support, while pledging reforms and elections within a year of the war’s end and reiterating support for a “modern, democratic, non-militarized Palestinian state.”  

Even so, analysts and Palestinians in Gaza question the plan, with some describing it as lacking guarantees for statehood but others saying any step to stop the bloodshed would be welcome. 

Palestinian lawyer Diana Buttu told NBC News that the proposal lacked “a single guarantee” for Gazans, arguing it was imposed without their participation. But she conceded that pressure to end the conflict left regional actors with little choice but to welcome it. 

Others added that while Trump’s proposal outlines the possibility of Palestinian statehood, it does not guarantee it. Hours after the plan’s announcement, Netanyahu reiterated his opposition to a Palestinian state. 

In Israel, the plan also received a mixed reception: Far-right ministers in Netanyahu’s coalition warned that it risks granting concessions to Hamas, but the hostage families welcomed it.  

Observers added that many Israelis will likely support the plan as the public has grown weary of the conflict. 

In a separate development, Netanyahu on Monday issued a rare apology to Qatar over Israel’s strike on Sep. 9 in Doha. The attack killed a Qatari serviceman during an attempt to target Hamas leaders, which drew global condemnation, Al Jazeera added. 

During a joint call with Trump and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the Israeli leader expressed “deep regret” over the strike and pledged Israel would not violate Qatari sovereignty again.  

Qatar confirmed receiving the apology, which analysts said was a key condition for it to continue mediation efforts.