October 1, 2026
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday laid out a 20-point proposal supported by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that would end the war in Gaza and free remaining hostages, leaning heavily into conditions that Hamas has previously rejected. The terrorist group said on Tuesday that it was discussing the plan within the group and with other Palestinian factions before responding.
The proposal demands that Hamas effectively surrender and disarm in return for an end to fighting, humanitarian aid for Palestinians, and the promise of reconstruction in Gaza — all desperately hoped for by the population in the devastated territory.
“If Hamas rejects your plan, Mr. President, or if they supposedly accept it and then do everything to counter it, then Israel will finish the job by itself,” Netanyahu said after meeting with Trump at the White House. “This can be done the easy way or it can be done the hard way, but it will be done.”
Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar said that his country has accepted Trump’s "plan for ending the war in Gaza and for a better future" and that it is now up to Hamas to announce its position.
“We will now see if Hamas accepts the president’s plan,” Saar said during a visit to Belgrade, Serbia’s capital.
He accused Hamas of trying in the past to change the terms or avoid implementing any past agreements. “We will see," he said.
“We want to see our hostages come home after two years … Alive and dead,” Saar said. “We also want to see a different Gaza: deradicalized, demilitarized, and no longer posing a threat to Israel and its citizens.”
Trump's 20-point plan for ending the war and establishing a postwar Gaza governance does not require people to leave Gaza and calls for the war to end immediately if both sides accept it.
It also calls for all remaining hostages to be released by Hamas within 72 hours of Israel accepting the plan.
The plan would effectively put the territory and its more than 2 million people under international control, deploying an international security force and installing a “Board of Peace” headed by Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to oversee the administration and reconstruction.
The territory would remain surrounded by Israeli troops. Hamas would have no part in administering Gaza, and all its military infrastructure — including tunnels — would be dismantled.
The international security force would keep order and train Palestinian police to take over law enforcement. Egypt has said it is training thousands of Palestinian police to deploy to Gaza.
The United Nations says it's prepared to increase aid deliveries into Gaza whenever possible. Deliveries by U.N. agencies and their partners have been largely limited in recent months as Israel has allowed a separate organization — the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — to ferry in aid.
Trump's plan says that aid entries will proceed “without interference” by Israel or Hamas “through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent” in addition to other international institutions “not associated in any manner with either party.”
Alessandra Vellucci, a U.N. Geneva spokesperson, said the world body is in contact “with the various parties about the peace efforts ... we welcome all the mediation.”
Jens Laerke, a spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said the U.N. stands "ready and prepared and capable to increase aid deliveries inside Gaza, whenever the opportunity is such that we are allowed to do so and the ... safety and security of doing so is there indeed.”
Meanwhile, backing and support were pouring in for the proposal from the international community.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz thanked Trump for his “persistent efforts” and Arab and Muslim countries in the Middle East for their “influence” with Hamas. He said Germany remained in close contact with its European neighbors and the United States on the issue.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez welcomed the U.S. peace proposal and said a two-state solution was “the only possible one” for the Middle East.
“It is time for the violence to cease, for the immediate release of all the hostages to take place, and for humanitarian aid to be provided to the civilian population,” Sánchez wrote on X.
French President Emmanuel Macron says he welcomes Trump’s “commitment to ending the war in Gaza and securing the release of all hostages.”
“I expect Israel to engage resolutely on this basis. Hamas has no choice but to immediately release all hostages and follow this plan,” Macron posted on X.
“These elements must pave the way for in-depth discussions with all relevant partners to build a lasting peace in the region, based on the two-state solution,” he wrote. “France stands ready to contribute. It will remain vigilant regarding the commitments of each party.”
The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt on Tuesday welcomed the plan and expressed confidence in Trump's ability to help chart a path to peace.
In a joint statement, the ministers said they supported Trump’s plan to halt the fighting, rebuild Gaza, prevent the displacement of Palestinians, and block any annexation of the West Bank by Israel.
They also emphasized the importance of their partnership with Washington in securing peace in the region and affirmed their readiness to work constructively with the United States and other parties toward peace and stability.
The Palestinian Authority in the West Bank pledged to implement reforms in order to return to Gaza and potentially clear the way for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
“The State of Palestine welcomes the sincere and determined efforts of President Donald J. Trump to end the war on Gaza and affirms its confidence in his ability to find a path toward peace,” it said.
“We have affirmed our desire for a modern, democratic, and nonmilitarized Palestinian state, committed to pluralism and the peaceful transfer of power,” the statement said and promised reforms, including new elections and ending a system that pays the families of militants involved in attacks on Israelis.
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