To no one’s surprise, Hamas signaled it planned to reject President Donald Trump’s proposal for the future of the Gaza Strip, as did the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which took part in the Oct. 7 attack against Israel and, the BBC reported, has held some Israeli hostages. A spokesman for Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. government long before Trump came into the picture, told the BBC the plan “ignores interests of Palestinian people.”
More accurately, it ignores the interests of Hamas, which the plan requires to disarm and effectively disappear. As it should. Otherwise Hamas will be ignoring the interests of the Palestinians.
It is impossible to see how people would be better served by any other eventuality; certainly, not by the U.S. and fellow Arab nations telling Israel to go ahead and finish their brutal military campaign.
The Trump plan has a lot going for it, and we think it is important to understand at the outset it is different from Trump’s prior musings about U.S. control of Gaza and fanciful Trump-branded resorts.
Even those who despise Trump in general and are protesting his broader immigration policies should consider this plan, clearly the work of Trump’s capable special envoy Steve Witkoff, on its own terms.
Now to the 20-point plan, which clearly states Gaza is to be redeveloped for the benefit of its people “who have suffered more than enough.” The plan also says, on acceptance by Hamas, the war will immediately end.
As it should. There is no viable argument otherwise.
We’ve said many times before the hostages have to be returned home, whether alive or dead, before anything constructive can happen in Gaza.
In this plan, Israel will “release 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1,700 Gazans who were detained after Oct. 7, 2023, including all women and children detained in that context.” That’s no small concession. “For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released,” the plan continues, “Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans.”
Moreover, “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.”
After detailing the arrival of humanitarian aid, sorely needed, the plan says that “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.” It mentions former British Prime Minister Tony Blair as a likely manager. Economic development (yes, involving Trump’s interests, alas, given that Witkoff knows for whom he works) will follow in what will become a demilitarized Gaza.
Crucially, the United States then will work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force to immediately deploy in Gaza. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority, which Palestinians have told us they consider too subject to corruption, will undergo structural reforms.
The involvement of countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the U.A.E. is crucial to the end of the war and the future of Gaza. The plan emphasizes that Israel “will not occupy Gaza,” beyond a presence in a security buffer zone, which history has taught the country it needs.
Then comes the biggest reason of all Hamas should get out of the way: “While Gaza redevelopment advances and when the (Palestinian Authority) 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.”
Aspiration is not reality — but it is a start. Only if the fighting stops.
History teaches us a plan like this is the only way to end a war.
This is a very good plan and has our endorsement. It’s also the only one on the table.