E-Paper
Palestinian recognition, hostage release and more: Inside Trump's 21-point peace plan for Israel-Gaza war
The plan calls for release of all Hamas hostages within 48 hours of the agreement and sets out a roadmap for Gaza after the war ends.
The United States has reportedly proposed a 21-point plan to end the Gaza war. This plan comes as peace talks between Israel and Hamas remain talled since Israeli strikes on Doha earlier this month.
Pressure mounts on Israel and the US to bring an end to the war in Gaza, which first broke out on October 7, 2023. As per the latest figures from the Gaza Health ministry, over 66,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023 due to Israel's ongoing bombardment across the war-torn strip.
Trump sends 21-point peace plan
Donald Trump-led US administration's plan calls for release of all hostages held by Hamas within 48 hours of the agreement, CNN reported. The plan also sets out a roadmap for Gaza after the war ends. Israel’s offensive has left a trail of destruction in Gaza, around 90% of the population has been displaced and has caused a catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
According to reports, US shared the plan with “a handful of Arab and Muslim countries” on the sidelines of United Nations General Assembly in New York last week.
While Trump said that “all of the countries within the region are involved” and that Hamas is also aware of the discussions, Hamas said it had not received any new proposals for a ceasefire in Gaza.
While Trump is optimistic about resolving the conflict, Israel is expecting to get the proposal fine-tuned to includes its demands as well. The proposal is reportedly curated by US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
The plan talks about recognition of the Palestinian state, release of hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Hamas would not get any role in the future government of Gaza, according to reports.
Certain clauses of the plan are likely to irk Israel as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly refuted the formation of a Palestinian state. “Giving the Palestinians a state one mile from Jerusalem after October 7 is like giving al-Qaeda a state one mile from New York City after September 11,” he said at the United General Assembly this week. Members of the US delegation, Israel's closest ally and largest military supporter, were seen applauding as he spoke.
"This is sheer madness. It's insane, and we won't do it," Netanyahu added, while strongly criticising recent moves by Western nations to recognise a Palestinian state formally. "You didn't do something right. You did something wrong, horribly wrong," he said, insisting such steps would only embolden further attacks on Jews and “innocent people everywhere.”
