President Trump Once Again Envisions Peace in the Middle East

On September 29, 2025, President Donald J. Trump rolled out a 20-point peace plan aimed at ending the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. The announcement came at the White House, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu standing alongside him. The proposal is sweeping, and very much in line with President Trump’s foreign policy record of pushing for peace deals and trying to put an end to wars rather than extending them.

At the heart of the plan is an immediate ceasefire. If agreed to, all fighting would stop, front lines would freeze, and both sides would move into negotiations. Israeli hostages held in Gaza, whether alive or deceased, would be returned within 72 hours. In return, Israel would release 250 Palestinians serving life sentences, along with another 1,700 prisoners.

The plan also calls for Gaza to be fully demilitarized. Hamas would not be allowed to govern or hold power. Weapons would be decommissioned under international monitoring. A new International Stabilization Force would enter Gaza to train vetted Palestinian police and secure the border crossings with Israel and Egypt.

Israel would withdraw in stages as certain conditions are met. The governance of Gaza during the transition would fall to a technocratic Palestinian committee, overseen by an international Board of Peace chaired by President Trump himself. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is among the figures suggested for involvement. Hamas members who disarm could be granted amnesty or safe passage, but the group as an armed political force would no longer be part of Gaza’s government.

On the humanitarian side, the plan envisions major international aid to rebuild Gaza’s destroyed infrastructure and to revive its economy. Clearing unexploded ordnance, restoring electricity and clean water, and opening up pathways for investment are key parts of the agenda. The ultimate goal is to create what President Trump described as a “terror-free zone” where civilians can live without fear and where young people see opportunity rather than violence.

While the plan does not directly create a Palestinian state, it does hold out the possibility of future political talks. If the Palestinian Authority reforms and peace is sustained over time, there may eventually be a path toward broader self-determination.

This plan matches a theme President Trump has pushed since his first term in office. He has long argued that America should not be stuck in endless wars. Instead, the United States should act as a broker of deals and then step back once stability takes hold.

We have already seen examples of this approach in 2025. Earlier this year, the U.S. helped secure a ceasefire between Israel and Iran with Qatari mediation. Around the same time, the U.S. struck a ceasefire agreement with the Houthis in Yemen, ending American and British airstrikes there. These moves allowed President Trump to say he was scaling back U.S. involvement in drawn-out conflicts while still protecting American interests.

The Gaza plan fits neatly into this narrative. It continues to position President Trump as the “deal maker”, not through trade negotiations or domestic policy but by trying to reshape the future of one of the most contested places in the world. By bringing in international figures and forces, he is trying to show that the U.S. can lead but does not have to fight forever.

Of course, none of this will be easy. Hamas has not agreed to the plan, and many of its provisions, like disarmament, have been rejected in the past. Some Palestinians will see the proposed international oversight as an attack on their sovereignty. The plan also says very little about the West Bank, which remains a central issue in the broader conflict.

Inside Israel, some political factions are likely to resist the release of prisoners or the idea of gradually withdrawing from Gaza. In Washington, D.C., critics will say the plan either goes too far or not far enough, depending on their perspective. And even if everyone signs on, the logistics of verifying disarmament, deploying international forces, and rebuilding Gaza are daunting.

Despite the challenges, the proposal is significant because it shifts the conversation toward peace instead of perpetual conflict. President Trump framed it as a chance to deliver “eternal peace” to the region, and whether or not that is realistic, the emphasis on rebuilding lives and creating economic opportunity is notable.

For President Trump, it is also part of his larger story. He wants to be remembered as the president who ended wars, pulled America out of military quagmires, and focused on peace through strength and negotiation. This plan is one more attempt to show he can deliver on that vision.

The question now is whether the key players on the ground are willing to move in that direction. If not, the plan will sit on paper as another missed opportunity. But if it gains traction, it could mark the beginning of a very different chapter for Gaza and for the Middle East as a whole.