This House Supports Trump's 20-point Gaza Peace Plan

On September 29, 2025, in a White House press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump announced his 20-point Gaza Peace Plan, a comprehensive plan to end the Israel-Gaza war and establish governance for Gaza moving forward. Netanyahu indicated that Israel had “agreed to the plan in full”. Trump urged Hamas to agree to the plan also, threatening “complete obliteration” if they did not.

On the face of it, the Plan appears decidedly unfriendly to Hamas’ interests. They would be required to release all Israeli hostages – alive and dead - in exchange for many Palestinian prisoners. But Israel would not be required to end the war or withdraw from Gaza completely, a steadfast demand that Hamas has always insisted upon. Worse yet, Hamas would be required to disband and disarm completely. The Plan alluded to a future prospective Palestinian state alongside Israel only in the vaguest possible terms.

Everyone was surprised, therefore, when 10 days later, Hamas announced its agreement to the Plan. Despite Trump’s pronouncement of “eternal peace in the Middle East”, Hamas had in fact only agreed to selected parts of the Plan, often referred-to in the media as the First Phase. Despite that, Israel and Hamas agreed to proceed with the First Phase, then enter into negotiations for the remainder of the Plan. Both sides have since mostly complied with their obligations- with some significant issues – and hostilities have largely subsided. Humanitarian aid has started flowing en masse into Gaza.

So what is this 20-point Peace Plan? Below is the full text of the Plan. It is thought that the agreed-to First Phase consists of the starred (*) items, while the circle (o) items are reserved for later negotiations. The Plan was widely praised by leaders all over the world from all over the Middle East, Turkey, many European countries.

Arguments For the 20-point Gaza Peace Plan
The Plan achieves a crucial first goal of pausing the war, reducing the bloodshed and getting the Israeli hostages home. Although still up for negotiations, the Plan does draw some critical red-lines that both sides have insisted all along as being non-negotiable: For the Palestinians, that Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza long-term, and the territory would belong to its residents. For Israel, that Hamas would have no say in future governance of the territory, which would be demilitarized and reformed of its anti-Israel bias.

Arguments Against the 20-point Gaza Peace Plan
Trump’s plan is vague on specifics and is hardly the blueprint for the lasting peace that he alludes to. It is heavily biased towards Israel, while offering almost nothing to Palestinian long-term aspirations. At best it should be considered a ceasefire plan, a short-term bandaid for what has become – and continues to be - an intractable problem.

So what do you think of the Plan? Join us at SFDebate to voice your opinion, and hear those of others. Once you've RSVPed to the event, you will see a Zoom link to the online event. Two Speakers, one For the Motion, one Against the Motion will speak initially, followed by a floor debate. A tally of participants’ position on the motion will be taken, at the beginning, and at the end of the debate. The side who changed the most positions wins. Although encourage to, no-one is required to speak. Enabling video cameras is recommended, as those who do so are viewed as more persuasive. This event is free.

Full Text of Trump’s 20-point Gaza Peace Plan
* 1. Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors.
* 2. Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough.
* 3. If both sides agree to this proposal, the war will immediately end. Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed upon line to prepare for a hostage release. During this time, all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment, will be suspended, and battle lines will remain frozen until conditions are met for the complete staged withdrawal.
* 4. Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.
* 5. Once all hostages are released, Israel will release 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1700 Gazans who were detained after October 7th, 2023, including all women and children detained in that context. For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans.

• 6. Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries.

* 7. Upon acceptance of this agreement, full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip. At a minimum, aid quantities will be consistent with what was included in the January 19, 2025, agreement regarding humanitarian aid, including rehabilitation of infrastructure (water, electricity, sewage), rehabilitation of hospitals and bakeries, and entry of necessary equipment to remove rubble and open roads.
* 8. Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in addition to other international institutions not associated in any manner with either party. Opening the Rafah crossing in both directions will be subject to the same mechanism implemented under the January 19, 2025, agreement.

• 9. Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the “Board of Peace,” which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with other members and heads of State to be announced, including Former Prime Minister Tony Blair. This body will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump’s peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French proposal, and can securely and effectively take back 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.
• 10. A Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energize Gaza will be created by convening a panel of experts who have helped birth some of the thriving modern miracle cities in the Middle East. Many thoughtful investment proposals and exciting development ideas have been crafted by well-meaning international groups, and will be considered to synthesize the security and governance frameworks to attract and facilitate these investments that will create jobs, opportunity, and hope for future Gaza.
• 11. A special economic zone will be established with preferred tariff and access rates to be negotiated with participating countries.
• 12. No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return. We will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.
• 13. Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form. All military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt. There will be a process of demilitarization of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use through an agreed process of decommissioning, and supported by an internationally funded buy back and reintegration program all verified by the independent monitors. New Gaza will be fully committed to building a prosperous economy and to peaceful coexistence with their neighbors.
• 14. A guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas, and the factions, comply with their obligations and that New Gaza poses no threat to its neighbors or its people.
• 15. The United States will work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) to immediately deploy in Gaza. The ISF will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza, and will consult with Jordan and Egypt who have extensive experience in this field. This force will be the long-term internal security solution. The ISF will work with Israel and Egypt to help secure border areas, along with newly trained Palestinian police forces. It is critical to prevent munitions from entering Gaza and to facilitate the rapid and secure flow of goods to rebuild and revitalize Gaza. A deconfliction mechanism will be agreed upon by the parties.
• 16. Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza. As the ISF establishes control and stability, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will withdraw based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed upon between the IDF, ISF, the guarantors, and the Unites States, with the objective of a secure Gaza that no longer poses a threat to Israel, Egypt, or its citizens. Practically, the IDF will progressively hand over the Gaza territory it occupies to the ISF according to an agreement they will make with the transitional authority until they are withdrawn completely from Gaza, save for a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat.
• 17. In the event Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, the above, including the scaled-up aid operation, will proceed in the terror-free areas handed over from the IDF to the ISF.
• 18. An interfaith dialogue process will be established based on the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence to try and change mindsets and narratives of Palestinians and Israelis by emphasizing the benefits that can be derived from peace.
• 19. While Gaza re-development advances and when the PA reform program is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.
• 20. The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence.