by Our Foreign Affairs Editor
The United States has unveiled a 21-point proposal to end the war in Gaza that aspires to do far more than halt hostilities. It is a plan that attempts to knit together urgent humanitarian relief, the disarmament of Hamas, the rebuilding of Gaza, and even the faint outline of a political horizon leading toward Palestinian statehood. On paper, it reads like a master framework — comprehensive, balanced, even generous. In practice, it is riddled with contradictions, dependent on political will that has been absent for decades, and likely to test every fault line in Israeli, Palestinian, and regional politics.
At its center, the plan combines immediate steps with long-term aspirations. Within days of acceptance, hostages would be released, prisoners exchanged, aid would surge, and international forces would begin deploying. Over time, Gaza would be rebuilt, its governance handed to technocrats, and its people encouraged to remain and build their future. If all proceeds, the Palestinian Authority, once reformed, would return to play a role — and eventually, when conditions allow, Palestinians might gain recognition of their long-sought statehood. But the plan is not only about hope; it is also a gamble that the fiercest opponents of compromise will suddenly accept it.
Here are the 21 points of the American proposal, presented as they were outlined to partners:
- Gaza will be a de-radicalized, terror-free zone that poses no threat to neighbors.
- Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of its people.
- If Israel and Hamas agree to the deal, the war ends immediately; the IDF halts operations and gradually withdraws.
- Within 48 hours of Israel’s acceptance, all living and deceased hostages will be returned.
- After the hostages are returned, Israel will release several hundred Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences, over 1,000 Gazans arrested since the war began, and the bodies of several hundred Palestinians.
- Hamas members who commit to peaceful coexistence will be granted amnesty; others may leave Gaza with safe passage.
- Aid will surge into Gaza at a rate no lower than 600 trucks daily, along with equipment to remove rubble and rehabilitate infrastructure.
- Aid distribution will be handled exclusively by the UN, the Red Crescent, and other neutral organizations, free from interference by Israel or Hamas.
- Gaza will be governed temporarily by Palestinian technocrats under the supervision of a new international body established by the U.S. and its partners, until PA reforms are complete.
- An economic reconstruction plan will be created to modernize Gaza and attract investment.
- A special economic zone will be established, with reduced tariffs and negotiated access.
- Gazans will not be forced to leave; those who do will be allowed to return, while most will be encouraged to remain and rebuild.
- Hamas will play no role in governance; offensive military infrastructure, including tunnels, will be destroyed and prevented from re-emerging.
- Regional partners will provide security guarantees to ensure Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel or itself.
- A temporary international stabilization force will deploy immediately and train a Palestinian police force for long-term security.
- Israel will not annex or occupy Gaza; the IDF will gradually hand over territory as new security structures take hold.
- If Hamas delays or rejects the deal, the plan will proceed in “terror-free” areas handed over by Israel.
- Israel will refrain from striking in Qatar, acknowledging Doha’s role as mediator.
- A de-radicalization process will begin, including interfaith dialogue to reshape narratives on both sides.
- Once Gaza’s redevelopment advances and the PA reforms, conditions may allow for a credible pathway to Palestinian statehood.
- The U.S. will initiate dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to establish a political horizon for peaceful coexistence.
Laid out in bullet form, the proposal looks orderly, almost symmetrical: hostages for prisoners, withdrawal for disarmament, aid for compliance, hope for reform. Yet this symmetry masks profound tensions. Israel insists that Hamas must be dismantled completely, while Hamas’s very survival depends on avoiding such humiliation. Netanyahu has sworn that Palestinian statehood will never be allowed; yet the plan implicitly opens the door to it. The Palestinian Authority, sidelined for now, is expected to reform before reclaiming legitimacy in Gaza — a tall order for an institution already viewed with deep skepticism by its own people.
The weaknesses of the plan lie not in its aspirations but in its assumptions. It assumes that Hamas can be coaxed into laying down arms with promises of amnesty or exile. It assumes that Israel, having fought a devastating war, will accept even the faint possibility of a Palestinian state. It assumes that Arab and European states will put troops on the ground to police Gaza’s transition. And it assumes that reconstruction and interfaith dialogue can undo years of trauma, radicalization, and mistrust. These are not technical obstacles but political and human ones, harder to overcome than any economic blueprint or security deployment.
Still, the proposal matters because it resets the conversation. For the first time since October 7, the U.S. has put forward not just a plan for stopping the violence but a framework that dares to look beyond it. It may not succeed in full; indeed, it may only ever be implemented in fragments, in “terror-free zones” where conditions permit. But even partial success could bring relief to some and create islands of stability. The danger is that partial implementation becomes permanent, entrenching a divided Gaza and postponing the hardest decisions indefinitely.
