Donald Trump declared at a White House press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday night, September 29, that the unveiling of his 20-point road map for the Middle East was “potentially one of the great days ever in civilisation.”
The US President announced a plan promising not only an “immediate end to the war” in the Gaza Strip but a broader deal to bring “eternal peace in the Middle East.”
Central to the proposal is the establishment of a transitional authority to govern Gaza.
Trump confirmed he would chair this new body, a “Board of Peace,” alongside former British Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair, whom he described as “a very good man.”
Trump insisted the role was “not at my request” but said, “it’s what I want” due to its overwhelming importance. The board is set to include leaders from other nations and will oversee the process should Hamas agree to the terms.
The peace plan, circulated to Arab leaders, was released following the two leaders’ meeting in Washington. It calls for an immediate ceasefire and stipulates that Hamas must agree to the terms and release all 48 remaining hostages (20 living and 28 bodies) within 72 hours.
Following a ceasefire, Hamas would be required to disarm and destroy its offensive weaponry, with an Israeli withdrawal to be timed to the release of the last hostages. A “temporary international stabilisation force” would deploy, replacing military governance with the Trump-led transitional authority.
The document promises full aid and investment, and crucially, states, “we will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza,” confirming Palestinians will not be forced to leave.
Prime Minister Netanyahu, standing beside Trump, gave his full backing, telling the US President, “I support your plan to end the war in Gaza which achieves our war aims. This will be your crowning achievement.”
Both leaders, however, issued a stark ultimatum to Hamas: if the terror group rejects the deal, Trump vowed Israel would have his administration’s “full backing… to finish the job”. Netanyahu warned, “This can be done the easy way or it can be done the hard way, but it will be done.”
The proposal has been met with immediate international reaction. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer backed the plan, calling it “profoundly welcome” and urging Hamas to “now agree to the plan and end the misery, by laying down their arms and releasing all remaining hostages.”
Sir Tony Blair himself commended the “bold and intelligent plan.” However, a senior Hamas official, Muhammed Mardawi, offered a preliminary rejection, claiming the plan “leans toward the Israeli perspective” and “is close to what Netanyahu insists on in order to continue the war.”
Hamas has not yet formally received the document, and Palestinians were not consulted on the details of the transitional authority.
