President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a joint press conference announcing the U.S. peace plan for Gaza, Monday, September 29, 2025, in the State Dining Room of the White House.
Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian | Public Domain

Gaza Peace Plan

A new ceasefire agreement was reached in October 2025. Little progress has been made as Hamas refuses to give up arms, Israel continues its attacks, and the Board of Peace stalls due to lack of funding.

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a joint press conference announcing the U.S. peace plan for Gaza, Monday, September 29, 2025, in the State Dining Room of the White House.
Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian | Public Domain

➡️ TRUMP'S GAZA PEACE PLAN - Officially Labelled a Failure by Oxfam & Save the Children

U.S. President Donald Trump announced the twenty-point Gaza peace deal on September 29 during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This new truce came after days of negotiations in Egypt and Paris, which were assisted by many Arab and Muslim countries.

As part of the first phase, a new immediate ceasefire and release of all hostages were agreed to. Phase one was formally approved by Israel on October 9, which led to the release of all living hostages being held by Hamas. Israel, in turn, began the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

This is the third time Israel and Hamas have attempted to uphold a ceasefire, first in November 2023 and again in January 2025.

As of May 2026, although the plan remains formally in place, Israel has violated the ceasefire agreement at least 2,400 times since its inception. In a mockery of the ‘peace plan’ and human rights, a reported 738 Palestinians have been killed during this time of ‘ceasefire’.

What Was In The Agreement?

As part of the ceasefire, “all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment, will be suspended, and battle lines will remain frozen.”

The IDF will partially withdraw their troops, leaving it in control of 53% of the Gaza enclave. Two further withdrawals are planned, which will allow Israel to maintain a security perimeter around Gaza but not within.

Full uninterrupted aid will be sent to Gaza, as well as assistance to rebuild vital civilian infrastructure for water, electricity, sewage, medical facilities, and bakeries. The Rafah crossing with Egypt will be reopened. Two hundred U.S troops will be sent to Israel to monitor the ceasefire and help with aid delivery.

The plan does not permit Hamas to have a role in the future governing of Palestine, nor does it guarantee the establishment of a Palestinian State. Much of the success of this ceasefire deal hinges on how postwar governance in Gaza will look.

It is positive that the U.S., France, Arab, and Muslim countries all have a vested interest now which was clearly demonstrated by the Sharm El-Sheikh meeting on October 13.

UN Security Council Resolution 2803

The UN resolution of 17 November 2025 endorses the Gaza peace plan and welcomes the formation of a Board of Peace to support the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. It authorises the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force and allows for the establishment of a Palestinian executive committee to manage day-to-day governance in the Gaza Strip.

The Board of Peace

Established by U.S. President Donald Trump to oversee the ceasefire, governance, and reconstruction of Gaza, has come under great scrutiny. The board excludes the involvement of Palestinian leadership, grants unprecedented centralised power to members, and undermines the work of the UN.

Regarding Gaza, fears are circulating that the lack of Palestinian representatives will dismantle existing frameworks and create a path for foreign-imposed leadership. Their work is grossly underfunded, has resulted in very little real action on the ground, and does not respect the Palestinian right to sovereignty.

Permanently Stalled?

With both sides insisting the other side violated the terms of the agreement, the peace plan remains in a deadlock.

Israel and the Board of Peace have insisted on the disarmament and demilitarisation of Hamas as a non-negotiable. Yet Hamas refuses to commit to this without the complete withdrawal of Israeli armed forces.

With repeated deadly attacks by Israel since the October truce, it is not surprising that Hamas are unwilling to stick to their end of the deal.

Distracted by the invasion of Iran, the U.S. has reduced its monitoring presence on the ground. The U.S.-led Civil-Military Coordination Centre in Israel set out with a mission to monitor the ceasefire and improve the flow of aid. It has failed.

Israel now occupies and controls between 50-64% of the Gaza Strip.

The people of Gaza are suffering from rampant disease, widespread famine, aid restrictions, a dire displacement crisis, severe fuel shortages, and a lack of basic sanitation or even clean drinking water.

Of major concern is rising tensions and unrest between Israeli and Palestinian communities, particularly in the West Bank, where local hardline factions oppose the terms of the ceasefire deal. In 2025, 240 Palestinians were killed in attacks by both Israeli settlers and the IDF.

As of May 2026, there has been no significant progress in the disarmament of Hamas or the Israeli military's withdrawal from Gaza.

Author: Rachael Mellor, 14.10.25 (updated 18.05.26) licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0

For further reading on the Gaza Peace Plan see below ⬇️