Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
President Donald J. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday presented a detailed, multi-point proposal they say could end the war in Gaza and establish a temporary international governance framework for the territory a plan that the U.S. president described at a White House press conference as “potentially one of the greatest days ever in civilisation.”
The document, variously described by administration officials as a 20- or 21-point road map, calls for an immediate ceasefire, the disarmament of Hamas, an Israeli withdrawal tied to the release of hostages, and the creation of a short-term international administration to oversee Gaza’s security, reconstruction and governance.
In a dramatic announcement, President Trump said the board would be “headed by a gentleman known as President Donald J. Trump of the United States.” Former British prime minister Sir Tony Blair is named in the plan as a senior participant, proposed to lead a Gaza International Transitional Authority (GITA) assembled by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.
“This will be your crowning achievement,” President Trump said, praising Prime Minister Netanyahu for agreeing to the framework, and lauding a team that included his son-in-law Jared Kushner for their role in putting the proposal together. Prime Minister Netanyahu stood beside the president and voiced support for the plan, saying it “achieves our war aims” by promising to return hostages, dismantle Hamas’s military capabilities and end the group’s political rule in Gaza.
Key elements of the proposal
According to the text released by the White House and outlined by the two leaders, the principal elements include:
• An immediate, conditional ceasefire. The plan stipulates that if both sides accept the terms, hostilities will stop and existing battlefield lines will be frozen while a phased implementation begins.
• A 72‑hour ultimatum for hostages. Hamas would have 72 hours to agree to the deal and release all hostages the plan references 20 living hostages and 28 who were dead. The release of captives is tied directly to Israeli withdrawals.
• Disarmament of Hamas. The group would be required to lay down offensive weaponry and be excluded from future governing roles. Militants who agree to “peaceful coexistence” would be offered amnesty; those who refuse would face removal.
• Israeli withdrawal and international stabilization. Israeli forces would withdraw in stages as hostages are released. A temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) and a multinational presence would be deployed to secure borders, protect reconstruction projects and deter militant resurgence.
• Transitional governance and reconstruction. The plan calls for a transitional authority the GITA to run Gaza temporarily, coordinate international aid and economic development, and prepare local institutions for longer-term governance. The document says Palestinians would not be forced to leave Gaza; instead the plan “will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.”
Sir Tony Blair’s proposed role and administration
Details obtained by news outlets and echoed by the White House sketch an extensive international administration centered on Sir Tony Blair. Under that blueprint, GITA would initially operate from El-Arish in Egypt with policy hubs in Amman and Cairo, scaling to a fully operational presence inside Gaza by the third year. The chairman would lead international diplomacy for Gaza, coordinate security with Israel, Egypt and the United States, and serve as the key escalation point for sensitive decisions.
GITA’s proposed structure includes a Strategic Secretariat and a crisis “war room” for rapid analysis and messaging; an Executive Protection Unit (EPU) of elite, politically balanced personnel to protect senior officials and visiting dignitaries; a Palestinian Civil Police force recruited and vetted nationally; and coordination with the ISF through a Joint Security Coordination Centre (JSCC).
Reactions and caveats
President Trump said Arab and Muslim leaders have been approached about the plan and that many have signaled support, calling the moment “the closest we’ve ever come to real peace.” He reiterated broader ambitions for what he described as “eternal peace in the Middle East,” including hopes of expanding the Abraham Accords and even eventually bringing Iran into a new regional framework.
But significant uncertainties remain. President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu acknowledged that the proposal’s success hinges on Hamas’s acceptance. “If Hamas rejects the deal,” President Trump cautioned, “Israel would have the absolute right and actually our full backing… to finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas.” Prime Minister Netanyahu echoed that warning, saying the plan “can be done the easy way or it can be done the hard way, but it will be done,” and that Israel would “finish the job by itself” if Hamas refuses to comply.
The plan also faces political headwinds inside Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s coalition contains far-right ministers who oppose concessions and who have, in the past, resisted international oversight or territorial compromises. Diplomats and regional leaders will also weigh in; while President Trump said he has “marshalled support” across Arab and Muslim nations, the White House account did not provide a full list of endorsing governments.
What happens next
The administration says it has circulated the road map to regional leaders and is awaiting a response from Hamas. If Hamas agrees and the ceasefire takes hold, the plan envisions immediate humanitarian aid flows, the start of reconstruction, and a phased transition toward international oversight and domestic capacity building. If Hamas rejects the proposal, the document makes clear Washington will back Israel’s continued military effort to eliminate the group’s capabilities.
For now, the announcement marks a high-stakes gamble: a sweeping, internationally led plan that elevates the political profile of both President Trump and Sir Tony Blair while placing the fate of Gaza, and the lives of hostages, at the center of a compact whose success depends on fragile and untested commitments by multiple parties.
