Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
In a significant development in the ongoing Gaza conflict, former U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly presented a comprehensive proposal aimed at ending the war between Israel and Hamas. According to American and Israeli media reports, including Axios and Israeli government sources, the proposal includes a permanent ceasefire in exchange for a series of conditional steps, including the release of all remaining hostages and a large-scale prisoner exchange.
The plan, which Trump is said to be personally invested in facilitating, represents the most detailed American-backed peace effort in recent weeks and comes amid mounting international pressure to halt the war.
According to sources cited by Axios and Israeli media outlets, the proposal outlines the following main points:
- Immediate and permanent cessation of Israel’s military operation in Gaza, particularly in Gaza City, in exchange for the release of all 48 remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
- Israel would release between 2,500 and 3,000 Palestinian prisoners from its jails as part of the deal. The list includes hundreds of inmates serving life sentences for attacks that resulted in Israeli casualties.
- Ceasefire to begin immediately upon the release of hostages, and negotiations over the broader terms of ending the war would commence without delay.
- The ceasefire would remain in effect as long as talks are ongoing, essentially creating a conditional truce framework.
- Trump is expected to personally oversee or heavily influence the negotiation process, leveraging his status and direct communication with both parties.
- The proposal urges Hamas to place trust in Trump’s intentions, based on the premise that once the hostages are home, Israel will find it increasingly difficult to justify continued military action in Gaza, both domestically and internationally.
- One of Israel’s key conditions for ending the war, according to the proposal, is opening a discussion on the disarmament of Hamas a highly contentious and likely unacceptable demand for the group.
- On the other hand, Hamas is demanding a full and final withdrawal of all Israeli military forces from the Gaza Strip as a precondition for any lasting agreement.
- The message conveyed to Hamas is clear: failure to engage positively with the proposal will lead to a renewed and intensified Israeli military campaign, including a potential full-scale offensive on Gaza City.
The proposal reflects growing urgency from Washington to wind down a war that has drawn severe criticism globally, especially due to the scale of civilian casualties and the humanitarian toll in Gaza. Trump, who is seeking a political comeback in the upcoming U.S. presidential elections, appears to be positioning himself as a capable negotiator and crisis-solver on the global stage.
Observers note that the proposal’s structure tying ceasefire to hostage release and conditional talks—echoes past diplomatic efforts, but with significantly broader scope and consequences. It suggests a potential shift in U.S. engagement, emphasizing negotiation and leverage over open-ended military campaigns.
However, major challenges remain. Hamas is unlikely to agree to disarmament, one of Israel’s central demands. Israel’s leadership remains divided on whether to agree to a ceasefire before achieving what they describe as “complete victory” over Hamas. There is also skepticism among analysts as to whether Trump can serve as a neutral mediator, given his prior strong support for Israel and the polarized political landscape in the United States.
While still in its preliminary stages, the Trump proposal introduces a new diplomatic pathway that could potentially end one of the region’s deadliest and most protracted escalations in recent years. Whether either side will accept the deal remains to be seen, but its emergence signals a possible turning point—one that combines political pressure, humanitarian urgency, and strategic interests into a complex but potentially viable ceasefire framework.
