President Trump laid out an ambitious plan for the future of Gaza at a news conference on Monday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel standing beside him, and both said it could finally stop the devastating conflict with Hamas.
The proposal envisions an immediate end to the war and the release of all remaining hostages in Gaza. Hamas would lay down its arms and give up any power it still has over Gaza. A transitional government would be established.
But it is far from clear whether those terms would be acceptable to the Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that has fought a determined guerrilla war against Israel for two years. So far, Hamas has stubbornly rejected the idea of surrendering its weapons or disbanding its battalions of armed fighters.
Here’s what to know about the U.S.- and Israeli-backed plan for Gaza’s future.
Who’s behind it?
The Trump administration developed the plan with counsel from Tony Blair, the former British prime minister. In August, Mr. Blair attended a high-level meeting at the White House to discuss day-after proposals for Gaza alongside Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, who has played a role in the past in shaping Mideast policy.
And over the past week, Israel and Arab countries held additional conversations with American officials about the proposal before it was announced on Monday.
What would happen first?
The initial steps in the plan are fairly clear.
The war would immediately end as soon as both sides signed the accord. That differs from many previous proposals, which aimed to first broker a temporary truce and then work out terms for a permanent cease-fire.
Hamas would free all of the remaining hostages seized in its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel within 72 hours of an agreement, including an estimated 20 living captives and the bodies of about 25 others. In exchange, Israel would release about 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences for militant activity, as well as some 1,700 Gazans detained during the war.
Israeli forces in Gaza would withdraw to agreed-upon lines, maintaining a buffer zone within the territory. And the international community would begun pumping more desperately needed aid into the Gaza Strip.
After that, however, matters would grow more complicated.
How would Gaza be reshaped?
Mr. Trump’s plan could transform the enclave, where Hamas first seized power in 2007. But its ambitious aims will be fraught with difficulties, and few details of how it would actually work have been disclosed.
Hamas’s rule in Gaza would end and be replaced by a “technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee,” according to the proposal. That would be overseen by a supervisory “Board of Peace” led by Mr. Trump as chairman, with a leadership role for Mr. Blair as well.
Hamas members who commit to “peaceful coexistence and to decommission their weapons” would be given amnesty, according to the White House. Other Hamas fighters who wish to leave Gaza would be given safe passage into exile.
The United States and its Arab allies would work to develop an international force that would “immediately deploy in Gaza,” according to the plan. It would train a Palestinian police force, which would serve as “the long-term internal security solution” in the enclave.
But many questions linger. Who will run the Gaza governing committee? How will the new authorities deal with militants who refuse to disarm? Who will join the international force?
Another open question is how long this transitional administration would last. While the framework would allow a future role for Hamas’s rival, the Palestinian Authority, that is conditioned on wide-ranging reforms.
Dan Shapiro, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, called Mr. Trump’s plan a “credible basis to end the war.” But he said many key elements “are not fully cooked.”
Will Hamas agree to it?
Mr. Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has already endorsed the proposal. The ball in now in Hamas’s court, and its negotiating team was expected to convene on Tuesday night in Qatar to discuss the proposal.
But many of the terms of this plan will be difficult for Hamas to swallow, according to analysts close to the group.
Mr. Trump’s plan would mean the end of Hamas’s nearly two-decade rule in Gaza, a major blow. And Hamas leaders have consistently ruled out disarmament, calling it a red line.
Under the proposal, Israeli forces would remain in Gaza for the foreseeable future, particularly in a buffer zone along the border. Hamas has consistently demanded a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Analysts say Hamas leaders also fear that if they hand over the hostages by the third day, as called for in the plan, they will lose all their leverage. At that point, Israel could begin attacking again or break the agreement without fearing for the captives’ fates.
Nonetheless, Hamas is looking for a “dignified exit” from the war, said Tamer Qarmout, a professor of public policy at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.
“The entire region now is putting pressure on Hamas and is aligning itself with this initiative as well,” Mr. Qarmou said.
Aaron Boxerman is a Times reporter covering Israel and Gaza. He is based in Jerusalem.
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