President Donald Trump released a 20-point peace plan to end the Israel-Hamas war 29 September, which was met with cautious optimism from some world leaders and skepticism from others as it remained to be seen whether Hamas would accept the agreement amid increasing international concern about humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip.
During a White House visit with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the plan could be a “historic day for peace,” but said that if Hamas did not accept the plan, Israel “would have my full backing” to “finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas.”
Trump told reporters 30 September he would give Hamas “three or four days” to respond to his proposal.
The Associated Press reported that while the Palestinian Authority “welcomed the announcement,” Hamas officials had not indicated whether they would accept the terms.
The plan, in part, calls for an immediate ceasefire and for Hamas to release all of its remaining hostages within 72 hours, living or dead.
Pope Leo XIV–like his predecessor Pope Francis – is among the world leaders who have raised alarm at the humanitarian issues presented by the conflict.
The pope has appealed for both a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages. The White House plan states Gaza would “be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee” supervised by an international “Board of Peace” chaired by Trump.
The plan also left the door open to “a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”
