Today's News: Trump and Netanyahu Announce a 20-Point Peace Plan for Gaza
Trump, who will chair a “Board of Peace” to oversee interim governance, warned Hamas of severe consequences and full U.S. backing for Israel if the group rejects the deal.
Photo: Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post
Overview
Date: September 29, 2025
Summary: President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a 20-point peace plan for Gaza on September 29, 2025, following their White House meeting. The plan calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages within 72 hours, phased Israeli withdrawal, and Hamas’s disarmament and renouncement of any future governance role in Gaza. Trump, who will chair a “Board of Peace” to oversee interim governance, warned Hamas of severe consequences and full U.S. backing for Israel if the group rejects the deal. While Netanyahu has agreed, the plan’s success hinges on Hamas’s acceptance, which remains uncertain given its long-held conditions for a lasting ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal.
Sources
CNN - Trump says a Gaza ceasefire is closer than ever. The reality is more complicated
NBC News - Trump holds crucial talks with Netanyahu to push deal to end Gaza war
The Washington Post - Netanyahu agrees to Trump plan for Gaza deal, but Hamas still a question
The New York Times - Live Updates: Trump Releases Gaza Plan and Says Hamas Must Accept It
Key Points
All articles focus on the 20-point peace plan unveiled by President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza.
The plan requires Hamas to disarm, renounce its leadership role in Gaza, and release all hostages within 72 hours. All sources highlight Trump’s and Netanyahu’s warning that if Hamas rejects the plan, Israel will have full U.S. backing to continue its campaign to destroy the group.
A core component is the release of all remaining hostages (alive and dead) by Hamas within 72 hours of Israel’s acceptance of the deal. In exchange, Israel would release Palestinian prisoners.
The plan outlines a future for Gaza without Hamas governance, proposing an interim body (the “Board of Peace”) chaired by Trump, with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair as a member. Gaza is to be demilitarized and redeveloped.
Netanyahu, at Trump’s behest, apologized to Qatar for an Israeli strike in Doha that killed a Qatari serviceman while targeting Hamas leaders, which had previously jeopardized negotiations.
Trump expressed significant optimism about the deal’s potential for peace, while news sources and analysts note the complexities and obstacles, particularly regarding Hamas’s likely rejection and Netanyahu’s conditions.
Unique Highlights
CNN details the “Board of Peace” including Tony Blair and other heads of state to be announced, and mentions Trump’s fury over the Doha strike worrying it could stymie efforts. It also provides specific casualty figures: over 66,000 Palestinians killed (including over 17,000 children), and 1,200 Israelis killed on October 7, 2023. It notes the two previous ceasefires in November 2023 and January 2025.
NBC News identifies other U.S. officials closely involved in the process: Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Vice President JD Vance, and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. It specifies that the timeline for IDF withdrawal is tied to a stabilization force from Arab states and details the two-tier interim governance for Gaza: an international body overseeing a Palestinian committee until the Palestinian Authority implements reforms. It also mentions Hamas’s claim of losing contact with two prisoners.
The Washington Post highlights that Netanyahu hedged his agreement with conditions, pledging to maintain an Israeli security presence inside Gaza for the “foreseeable future,” and that the agreement differed from a previous plan by giving Israeli security forces a larger role in training a local administrative force and controlling border areas. It notes French President Emmanuel Macron’s support for the peace effort and mentions discussions between Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed, as well as comments from a former Egyptian official and former Egyptian foreign minister Amr Moussa on regional dynamics and Trump’s influence. It also states that the plan was initially 21 points, with the Qatari apology being the 21st demand.
The Wall Street Journal cites analysts Michael Singh and Shalom Lipner on the plan’s potential and pitfalls. It emphasizes Hamas’s stated difficulty in releasing all hostages within 48 hours due to lost contact with some groups. It also clarifies that Netanyahu explicitly ruled out Palestinian Authority involvement in postwar Gaza, stating Gaza would have a civilian administration run neither by Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority.
Fox News provides specific details on the prisoner exchange, stating Israel would release “250 life sentence prisoners plus 1700 Gazans who were detained after October 7th 2023.” It mentions a 21-point plan circulated at the United Nations earlier in September and reports on Israel’s recent long-range airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, including Defense Minister Israel Katz’s comments. It also quotes Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas signaling support for the plan and readiness for the PA to take over security and governance in Gaza, provided Hamas disarms.
The New York Times confirms that the prime minister of Qatar and the chief of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service met with Hamas negotiators to share the proposal, and that Hamas pledged to review it in good faith. It elaborates on Tony Blair’s background and his previous controversial role as envoy for the Quartet, and his ties to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as well as his non-profit, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.
Contrasting Details
Role of Palestinian Authority in Post-War Gaza:
The Wall Street Journal explicitly states that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu ruled out the possibility of Palestinian Authority involvement in a postwar Gaza, asserting that Gaza would have a “peaceful civilian administration that is run neither by Hamas nor by the Palestinian Authority.”
In contrast, NBC News, The Washington Post, and The New York Times mention a two-tier governance structure where an international body would oversee a Palestinian committee until the Palestinian Authority has implemented reforms and could safely resume control, implying a potential future, conditional role for the PA.
Fox News quotes Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas signaling support and readiness for the PA to take over security and governance in Gaza, provided Hamas disarms.
Timeline for Hostage Release:
Most articles (CNN, NBC News, The Washington Post, Fox News, The New York Times) state the plan calls for the release of all remaining hostages within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting the agreement.
However, The Wall Street Journal reports that Hamas has said it would be difficult to release all the hostages within 48 hours, as it has lost contact with some of the groups holding them for weeks.
Path to Palestinian Statehood:
The Wall Street Journal highlights that while the proposal leaves open the possibility of a sovereign Palestinian state, it “doesn’t include the phrase ‘two-state solution’” and instead noted the “aspiration of the Palestinian people” for self-determination. It also mentions Netanyahu has repeatedly said there will never be a Palestinian state.
The New York Times describes the proposal as giving “only the faintest lip service to the goal of Palestinian statehood,” stating that conditions for a credible pathway to statehood may be in place only after Gaza is rebuilt and the PA’s overhaul program is faithfully carried out.
The Washington Post mentions that the plan “would hold the door open to an eventual Palestinian state” and notes that maintaining conditions for one is a key demand for Palestinians and Arab neighbors, despite Netanyahu’s opposition.
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