Gaza Peace Plan 2025: End of War or Start of Occupation?
End of war, or A beginning of occupation?
On 29 September 2025, President Trump held a press conference along with his counterpart, Prime Minister of Israel, Binjamin Netanyahu, and issued 20 Points detailed peace plan for the war torn Gaza, though he claims that the plan was backed by prominent Muslim states, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan and some other’s.
By and large these Muslim states also welcomed the Plan, most importantly Palestinian political body which is Palestinian liberation Organization also called the plan an opportunity to end the war on Gaza. (fadel, 2025)
Here is the plan, as released by the White House:
Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors. Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough. If both sides agree to this proposal, the war will immediately end.
Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed upon line to prepare for a hostage release. During this time, all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment, will be suspended, and battle lines will remain frozen until conditions are met for the complete staged withdrawal.
Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned. (plan released by white house, 2025)
Gaza Peace Plan 2025: End of War or Start of Occupation?
HAMAS
Hamas which is military body of Gaza has also issued a response to Trump’s Plan, in which they accepted the demands like hostage release, and to hand over the administration of Gaza to independent Technocrats, but they clearly stated that they want to negotiate over some points through mediators.
Israel
Israeli Prime Minister called the plan as their victory and fulfilment of their objectives, as they wants to decommissioned Hamas, they will achieve this once the plan implemented. The tunnels which were in Gaza and which cause Israel unbearable damage, especially in early days of war.
They are also going to get rid of them by Hamas exclusion and their deradicalization and development of Infrastructure by Independent actors. What the most favorable point for Israel is the Trump’s statement that “if Hamas does not accept the plan then you [Netanyahu] are allowed to finish the job in Gaza and destroy Hamas completely”.
Which I think a very provocative statement and can cause more bloodshed of innocent civilian’s. which may ended up in complete occupation of strip.
The UN
A plan in which UN does not have any role, despite the fact that UN was created to maintain world peace, and to resolve the conflicts peacefully, but when we see the plan Trump did not assign any role to the peace keeping body, Instead he appointed Tony Blair[former British PM, who invaded Iraq in 2003 ] as head of the Board of peace, which is an international Transnational body whose responsibility is to supervise the apolitical Palestinian committee ( responsible for day to day running activities in Gaza).
Analyses & Conclusion
The future of 20 points Plan is quite uncertain because it neither have security guarantee for Palestinian nor any durable provisions about the existence of Palestinian state.
The plan calls about ISF( International stabilization Force) which will be deploy in Gaza immediately for ensuring peace, but the fact is world does not have a pool of experienced peacekeeping force for this purpose that can handle the situation.
Furthermore the Israeli PM made it clear that there is no meaningful withdrawal of IDF from Gaza anytime soon.
Moreover the Plan prohibits Israeli annexation of Gaza but it does not address the issue of west bank. Annexation there is opposed by present and potential Abraham accord states.
But I think soft annexation there would be continued through expansion and Establishment of settlement. (weller, 2025)
While the world is admiring trump’s 20 points peace plan, how can we think of the peace anywhere, without an army, and most importantly without recognizing the place as a sovereign state with demarcated boarders.
Although the plan has some appealing aspects like immediate ceasefire, entry of aid, development of infrastructure in Gaza and exchange of prisoners, but it lacks in terms of security from future Israeli aggression and it also has no provision about the Palestinian state with borders of before 1967 with East Jerusalem as it’sCapital.
Furthermore if plan implemented Palestinians will be govern by the people of other countries, who will govern them as per the policy devised by committee,( . whose member’s belongs to probably the west and other states) not according to the needs and opinion of palestinian’s.
Whose member’s belongs to probably west and other states. Which may add more to their misery. So for short span of time the plan may seem as the end of war, but in long run if more reforms like recognition of Palestinian statehood and its existence will not made, then this s just a start of new occupation.
Muhammad Abdullah, student of IR IIUI, with research interests focused on Middle east and south east Asia
