President Donald Trump has announced a new 20-point ceasefire plan aimed at resolving the conflict in Gaza, arriving nine months after a previous U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement was signed. Negotiations between Israel and Hamas had remained largely deadlocked over the implementation of that deal's second phase, which specifically addressed the disarmament of Hamas and the reconstruction of the war-torn territory.
In a statement posted on social media, Trump explained that the new agreement is designed to be carried out in carefully structured phases. Under the proposal, as disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw from the territory. The plan envisions the deployment of an International Stabilization Force that would collaborate with a new Palestinian police force to ensure Gaza is safe for its residents and neighboring nations.
The 20-point plan explicitly calls for the militant group to surrender its weapons and destroy its extensive network of tunnels. It also outlines the arrival of a new technocratic Palestinian government and the rebuilding of the battered enclave. However, according to officials, the Gaza police force envisioned in the plan does not include the vast majority of Hamas militants, and heavy weaponry is not included in that specific portion of the agreement.
A Board of Peace official noted that the surrender of heavy weapons and the decommissioning of Hamas tunnels and other infrastructure are scheduled to occur later in the process, which could take between 200 and 350 days to complete. Hamas has historically been reluctant to relinquish its arsenal—which includes rockets, anti-tank missiles, and explosives—as its founding charter calls for armed resistance against Israel and the weapons are central to the group's identity.
A U.S. official stated that Israel, which has maintained deep skepticism regarding Hamas' willingness to give up its weapons or relinquish behind-the-scenes control of Gaza, has been consulted at every step of the negotiation. The official clarified that Israel is not being asked to do anything beyond what it initially committed to in the 20-point plan, which essentially involves withdrawing its forces from Gaza and committing to ending airstrikes on the territory. The official added that Trump would be "very, very disappointed" if Israel failed to adhere to the agreement. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met at the White House on Tuesday, though neither provided details on their discussions during their first face-to-face meeting since the war against Iran began. Israel's U.N. Mission stated it had no immediate comment.
The war in Gaza began following the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Israel's subsequent retaliatory offensive has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, including those killed since the initial ceasefire, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Currently, the Israeli military maintains control over more than half of Gaza, leaving the Palestinian population confined to heavily damaged urban neighborhoods and squalid tent camps.
Palestinians salvage their belongings from the rubble of a building and tents destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, Thursday, July 30, 2026. Jehad Alshrafi/AP hide caption
FILE – President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One at Hagerstown Regional Airport, in Hagerstown, Md., en route to Camp David, Md., June 8, 2025. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP hide caption
