Will Trump鈥檚 21-point peace plan work?
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US President Donald Trump on Tuesday met with the leaders and representatives of several Arab and Muslim nations, including Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, 海角直播, Turkiye and the UAE. At the meeting, which took place in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Trump presented his vision for ending the war in Gaza. Although the US has yet to formally publish that vision, some of its elements are known.
Tuesday鈥檚 meeting was one of the key events during the UN鈥檚 鈥渉igh-level debate鈥 week, as the world body celebrated 80 years of international diplomacy since its founding in 1945. Although Trump had trashed the UN in his hour-long speech earlier that day, many leaders and diplomats praised his plan as visionary and brave.
For the first time since Trump鈥檚 inauguration in January, the administration seems to have a serious plan to end the war. For months, the US government has been accused of complicity in Benjamin Netanyahu鈥檚 genocidal war. It was also ridiculed for suggesting that Gaza be turned into a Mediterranean riviera with luxury hotels and sandy beaches for tourists from all over the world, while its Palestinian inhabitants would somehow disappear.
According to special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump presented to his guests a 鈥21-point plan for peace in the Mideast,鈥 adding that the plan 鈥渁ddresses Israeli concerns, as well as the concerns of all the neighbors in the region and we鈥檙e hopeful, and I might say even confident, that in the coming days we鈥檒l be able to announce some sort of breakthrough.鈥
The plan includes some points that the administration has made publicly, including the release of hostages and a permanent ceasefire. The plan also stipulates that Israel will gradually withdraw from Gaza and that Hamas will have no role in governing the Strip after the Israeli withdrawal.
The new Trump proposal was presented a day after 海角直播 and France hosted a successful two-state solution conference, presenting a global consensus in opposition to the war and in support of the two-state solution 鈥 i.e., recognition of an independent and viable Palestinian state. The US boycotted the conference, sought to undermine it and discouraged countries from attending or recognizing Palestine, but the political groundswell in support of Palestine and in opposition to the war isolated the US at the UN.
For the first time since Trump鈥檚 inauguration, the administration seems to have a serious plan to end the war
Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg
Domestically, the tide is also turning against the administration鈥檚 regional policy of blind support for Israel. In a Quinnipiac poll published last month, 60 percent of US voters opposed sending military aid to Israel. Opposition among registered Democrats was even higher, at 75 percent. The poll showed record high numbers for support of the Palestinians and record lows for support of Israel. Fifty percent of voters agreed that Israel is committing genocide; the percentage was higher among Democrats (77 percent).
These international and domestic factors probably played a role in Washington advancing this plan, besides Trump鈥檚 stated ambition of ending wars.
Different versions of the 21-point plan have been published and Trump and other US officials have confirmed some elements. The plan sees Gaza 鈥渄e-radicalized and terror-free,鈥 meaning without Hamas. It will be rebuilt for the benefit of Gazans, not at their expense. The war would end as soon as the parties accepted the plan. Within 48 hours of Israel accepting the deal, all living and deceased hostages would be returned, as well as hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Hamas would be disarmed and its members allowed to leave the Strip.
There would be a surge of aid into Gaza, at scale and without hindrance, followed by the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure and the entry of equipment for removing rubble. Aid would be distributed by the UN and the Red Crescent, along with other international organizations not associated with either Israel or Hamas.
Also under the plan, Gaza would be governed by a temporary, transitional government of Palestinian technocrats who would be responsible for providing day-to-day services. It would be supervised by a new international body established by the US in consultation with Arab and European partners. It would establish a framework for funding the redevelopment of Gaza until the Palestinian Authority completed its reform program. So, after weeks of denigrating the PA, the US appears to have bowed to the near-unanimous global support for reunifying the West Bank and Gaza under a single, reformed administration.
As part of the new vision, an economic plan would be created to rebuild Gaza, including a free economic zone with reduced tariffs.
Contrary to earlier calls for Gazans to leave, no one would be forced to leave the Strip under the new plan and those who chose to leave would be allowed to return. Gazans would be encouraged to remain and offered an opportunity to build a better future there.
The US appears to have bowed to the near-unanimous global support for reunifying the West Bank and Gaza
Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg
Domestically, the tide is also turning against the administration鈥檚 regional policy of blind support for Israel. In a Quinnipiac poll published last month, 60 percent of US voters opposed sending military aid to Israel. Opposition among registered Democrats was even higher, at 75 percent. The poll showed record high numbers for support of the Palestinians and record lows for support of Israel. Fifty percent of voters agreed that Israel is committing genocide; the percentage was higher among Democrats (77 percent).
These international and domestic factors probably played a role in Washington advancing this plan, besides Trump鈥檚 stated ambition of ending wars.
Different versions of the 21-point plan have been published and Trump and other US officials have confirmed some elements. The plan sees Gaza 鈥渄e-radicalized and terror-free,鈥 meaning without Hamas. It will be rebuilt for the benefit of Gazans, not at their expense. The war would end as soon as the parties accepted the plan. Within 48 hours of Israel accepting the deal, all living and deceased hostages would be returned, as well as hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Hamas would be disarmed and its members allowed to leave the Strip.
There would be a surge of aid into Gaza, at scale and without hindrance, followed by the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure and the entry of equipment for removing rubble. Aid would be distributed by the UN and the Red Crescent, along with other international organizations not associated with either Israel or Hamas.
Also under the plan, Gaza would be governed by a temporary, transitional government of Palestinian technocrats who would be responsible for providing day-to-day services. It would be supervised by a new international body established by the US in consultation with Arab and European partners. It would establish a framework for funding the redevelopment of Gaza until the Palestinian Authority completed its reform program. So, after weeks of denigrating the PA, the US appears to have bowed to the near-unanimous global support for reunifying the West Bank and Gaza under a single, reformed administration.
As part of the new vision, an economic plan would be created to rebuild Gaza, including a free economic zone with reduced tariffs.
Contrary to earlier calls for Gazans to leave, no one would be forced to leave the Strip under the new plan and those who chose to leave would be allowed to return. Gazans would be encouraged to remain and offered an opportunity to build a better future there.
An important part of the plan is that Hamas would have no role in Gaza鈥檚 governance whatsoever. There would be a commitment to destroy and stop building any offensive military infrastructure, including tunnels. Gaza鈥檚 new leaders would commit to peaceful coexistence with their neighbors and a security guarantee would be provided to ensure that.
The US would work with Arab and other international partners to develop a temporary international stabilization force that would immediately deploy in Gaza to oversee security in the Strip. The international force would develop and train a Palestinian police force.
According to the plan, Israel would not occupy or annex Gaza and Israeli forces would gradually hand over the territory it currently occupies as the replacement security forces established control and stability in the Strip.
When Gaza鈥檚 redevelopment is advanced and the PA reform program implemented, the conditions may be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian statehood, which is recognized as the aspiration of the Palestinian people. The US would establish dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful coexistence. A process of deradicalization of both countries is part of the plan.
The ambitious plan appears to borrow heavily from the plan adopted by the emergency Arab summit in Cairo in March and from the plan prepared by former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair with inputs from Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump鈥檚 son-in-law.
The administration insists that the plan presented on Tuesday is a work in progress, which will be fine-tuned after discussions with US partners. In light of concerns expressed at the meeting, the administration added a determination by the US to prevent the annexation of the West Bank. There will be other demands to make the plan acceptable to the Palestinians, including clear timelines, guarantees of no change to the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem, and the stopping of settlement activity.
The real challenge is how to make Israel accept the plan despite its fractious government. Trump is scheduled to meet with Netanyahu on Monday and many expect strong pushback from the Israeli prime minister on some of the key points of the plan. The administration needs to insist on its plan and press Netanyahu to implement it in good faith and according to schedule.
鈥 Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg is the GCC assistant secretary-general for political affairs and negotiation. The views expressed here are personal and do not necessarily represent those of the GCC. X: @abuhamad1
