The White House has taken a commendable step by unveiling a comprehensive Gaza plan aimed at ending the the nearly two-year war between Israel and Hamas. The 20-point proposal rolled out on September 29, has been accepted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump issued a Sunday, October 5, deadline for Hamas to accept, warning of “all hell” if rejected.
Hamas has responded to US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan to end Israel’s war on Gaza, agreeing to several parts of the proposal but saying that some aspects require further negotiations. The proposal, which Netanyahu has endorsed, calls for an immediate ceasefire, hostage exchanges, and Hamas’s disarmament.
It also allows Palestinians to have self-rule, but only after they are deradicalised and under international supervision. Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned. What are the other main points that Hamas wants to modify? What additions do they want in the 20-point proposal, and what is the role of the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) in consultation with Muslim countries? Here are all your questions answered.
Key Points Of the Trump proposal
- Immediate Ceasefire and Hostage/Prisoner Exchange: War ends upon acceptance; Hamas releases all 48 hostages (20 alive, 28 deceased) within 72 hours; Israel frees 250 life-sentence Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 detained since October 2023.
- Hamas’s Total Disarmament and Exile: All military infrastructure dismantled under independent monitors; no rebuilding; Hamas leaders exiled, with no governance role “directly, indirectly, or in any form.
- Transitional Governance: Palestinian technocrats, vetted and non-partisan, administer Gaza under an international board until the Palestinian Authority (PA) reforms (per Trump’s 2020 plan and Saudi-French proposals) and assumes control.
- Massive Reconstruction: A “Trump Economic Development Plan” convened by Middle East experts to rebuild Gaza as a “modern miracle city,” attracting investment with guarantees from Arab partners.
- Phased Israeli Withdrawal: IDF pulls back as stability is achieved, retaining a temporary border perimeter; no Israeli occupation or annexation.
- Interfaith Dialogue and Return Rights: Promote tolerance; allow displaced Gazans to return; no forced expulsions.
Hamas Approval and Disapproval
According to an Aljazeera report, Hamas, without addressing the issue of disarmament, stated that it had agreed “to release all occupation captives – both living and the remains – according to the exchange formula outlined in President Trump’s proposal, with the provision of field conditions necessary for the exchange”.
- Ready to “immediately enter negotiations through mediators to discuss the details” of the exchange
- Ready to “hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body of independents [technocrats] based on Palestinian national consensus and with Arab and Islamic support”
- Hamas wants Gaza to be administered by Palestinians rather than Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace”
- Further negotiations are needed as decisions about Gaza’s future and Palestinian rights are not final yet.
- Any agreement should reflect a unanimous position among all Palestinian leaders
- Decisions must follow relevant international laws and UN resolutions
International Stabilisation Force (ISF) for Gaza
- The ISF (International Stabilisation Force) will be developed by the US along with Arab and international partners.
- It will serve as a temporary but long-term internal security team for a neutral, technocratic Palestinian committee.
- This committee will manage transitional governance and be overseen by a “Board of Peace” chaired by Donald Trump.
- The ISF is planned to be deployed immediately in areas handed over by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) that are free of terror activity.
- Peacekeeping forces like the ISF are usually tasked with helping reform security systems and disarm armed groups.
- When there is no effective government authority or there is hostility from local groups, the ISF’s legitimacy will come from a UN Security Council mandate.
- UN approval is important because it ensures neutrality and adherence to international law.
