Trump, Netanyahu Agree on Gaza Peace Plan—Key Details and Next Steps

WASHINGTON—U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached an agreement on Sept. 29 on the U.S.-proposed Gaza peace plan introduced last week, marking a breakthrough for Trump’s push toward a Middle East peace deal.

While both leaders touted the 20-point plan in a joint press conference at the White House, it became clear that without terrorist group Hamas’s consent, the deal cannot move forward. Netanyahu vowed Israel will “finish the job by itself” in Gaza if Hamas rejects the proposal, while Trump pledged full U.S. support in that scenario.

Following Israel’s public acceptance of the agreement, Trump has given Hamas 72 hours to release all hostages—both alive and deceased—it took during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The central question now is whether Hamas will comply, as well as whether Arab states will step in to pressure the terrorist group to come to the table.

Israel Gives Green Light

Last week, the Trump administration unveiled a peace plan for Gaza, presenting it to Arab leaders on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City.

Netanyahu, on the eve of his White House meeting with Trump, told Fox News that Israel had not yet committed to the plan, though it was working closely with Trump’s team to shape it. He pointed to several sticking points, including any potential governing role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza, which he described as a “red line.”

On the question of amnesty, Netanyahu said Hamas members would only be eligible if they agreed to leave Gaza. These remarks suggested that a deal was still far off.

However, after nearly three hours of talks with Trump on Sept. 29, Netanyahu accepted the finalized agreement. The deal included Israel’s withdrawal to an agreed line, a suspension of all military operations in Gaza, and the release of 250 prisoners serving life sentences, along with 1,700 Gazans detained after Oct. 7, 2023.

“Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza,” according to the agreement.

The peace plan also states that when the Palestinian Authority completes its reform program, it could prepare the conditions for “a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”

“This is a big, big day, a beautiful day—potentially one of the great days ever in civilization,” Trump said as he opened the press conference with Netanyahu at the White House.

Trump thanked Arab, Muslim, and European leaders for supporting the proposal, and praised Netanyahu for endorsing it, which he said will “bring an end to the death and destruction.”

On Sept. 29, Netanyahu also called Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to apologize for violating Qatari sovereignty during Israel’s recent strikes against Hamas leaders in Doha.

Trump to Chair ‘Board of Peace’

Trump will be the chairman of a new international body, called the Board of Peace, that will oversee the rebuilding of Gaza, according to the White House peace plan.

The board will manage a “technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza,” the proposal stated.

It will comprise eminent members, including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who has played an active role recently in planning Gaza’s post-war recovery.

It will also oversee funding for Gaza’s redevelopment until the Palestinian Authority completes its reform program and is ready to take control of Gaza.

“This body will call on best international standards to create modern and efficient governance that serves the people of Gaza and is conducive to attracting investment,” according to the plan.

Demilitarization of Gaza

The plan includes deradicalizing Gaza and making it a terror-free zone so that it does not pose a threat in the future. The Gaza Strip will receive full aid when the hostilities end.

Both Trump and Netanyahu have made it clear that Hamas will play no role in the governance of Gaza.

“All military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt,” according to the plan.

“No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return.”

The United States, Arab nations, and other international partners will create a temporary International Stabilization Force to immediately deploy in Gaza. The new force will be “the long-term internal security solution” and “will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza.”

“Working with the new transitional authority in Gaza, all parties will agree on a timeline for Israeli forces to withdraw in phases. They’ll be withdrawing in phases,” Trump said during the press conference.

Courtesy of The White House

Trump also said the leaders of Qatar, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have all backed the peace plan.

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of those nations said they “welcome President Donald J Trump’s leadership and his sincere efforts to end the war in Gaza, and assert their confidence in his ability to find a path to peace.”

They noted that the “comprehensive peace” proposal includes ending the war, rebuilding Gaza, and preventing the displacement of the Palestinian people, as well as a commitment “not [to] allow the annexation of the West Bank.”

What’s Next?

The ball is now in Hamas’s court, and it’s unclear whether the terrorist group will accept the plan.

Netanyahu warned that if Hamas refuses the plan or actively works against it, then Israel will continue its military operations in Gaza.

“This can be done the easy way, or it can be done the hard way, but it will be done,” he said during the press conference.

Trump agreed, saying Israel will have his “full backing to finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas” if the terrorist group refuses the peace deal.

Jackson Richman, Arjun Singh, and Ryan Morgan contributed to this report.