US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a joint press conference at the White House on Monday.

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood side by side at the White House on Monday to unveil Trump’s latest Gaza peace initiative. At their joint press conference, Trump declared it could be “one of the great days ever in civilization,” raising expectations sky-high for a 20-point plan that he insists can end the devastating conflict.

For an administration fond of dramatic announcements, the rollout carried a familiar tone: optimism bordering on overstatement. But with Gaza’s humanitarian crisis worsening by the day, and hostages still held by Hamas since the October 7, 2023 attacks, even a slim chance of relief is difficult to dismiss.

Trump’s new proposal is far more detailed than earlier attempts, abandoning grandiose visions of Gaza as a “Riviera of the Middle East” in favor of a phased, months-long process. It calls for a ceasefire, the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, the disarmament of Hamas, and the deployment of an international stabilization force alongside a transitional governing body.

Palestinians gather to receive food from a charity kitchen, in Nuseirat, central Gaza on Sunday, September 28.

Netanyahu endorsed the plan publicly, crediting Trump for pressing Arab and Muslim leaders in recent weeks. Still, his cautious language signaled reservations—especially over the shape of Gaza’s future leadership.

Peace frameworks in the Middle East are nothing new. Dozens have been launched over decades, almost all collapsing under the weight of mistrust, violence, or political maneuvering. Trump’s claim that the sides are “very, very close” to ending “things that have been going on for hundreds of years” is therefore met with guarded skepticism.

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leave the State Dining Room of the White House after a press conference on Monday.

Implementation may prove the real test. The plan gives Hamas 72 hours to release all hostages—alive and deceased—a condition that could derail the deal from the start. Netanyahu has already suggested that if Hamas refuses, Israel will resume full military operations with Trump’s backing. Critics see this as a built-in trap, designed to justify further escalation.

The White House has also drawn comparisons to its faltering Ukraine peace push—big promises, sweeping statements, but little diplomatic groundwork. Trump enjoys the spectacle of major announcements, but long negotiations and quiet confidence-building rarely hold his attention. Without sustained focus and leverage, skeptics warn, this plan risks meeting the same fate.

Tanks stand on the Israeli side of the border, as destruction in Gaza is seen in the background, in Israel September 16.

Netanyahu, meanwhile, faces his own political calculations. Dependent on far-right coalition partners who demand a harder line, he may have little room to make concessions. Some analysts believe his endorsement in Washington was tactical, betting that Hamas will reject the plan and leave him free to continue the war.

On the Hamas side, officials remain defiant. Senior figure Ghazi Hamad told CNN the group sees little incentive to disarm or release its strongest bargaining chip: the hostages. He cast doubt on Israel’s sincerity, citing an attempted assassination of Hamas negotiators in Qatar as proof that Netanyahu is not serious about peace.
President Donald Trump speaks upon departing a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in foreground, on Monday.

Beyond immediate obstacles, the plan carries deeper flaws. Palestinians themselves had little input in shaping it. Trump’s proposal to chair a “Board of Peace” overseeing Gaza’s transition—with help from figures like former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair—has raised alarm among Palestinians who see echoes of colonial rule.

<p>In a clip from a wide ranging interview given to CNN, senior Hamas official Ghaza Hamad didn't accept responsibility for the brutality unleashed by Israel in the wake of Hamas' October 7 attacks. Hamad defended the attack, saying it had helped the international community to open "their eyes" to Israel's actions in the occupied Palestinian territories. </p>
And while the plan dangles the prospect of economic development for Gaza, it is vague on details, offering no guarantees that Israel would not resume hostilities once hostages are freed.
Smoke rises from an Israeli strike, as displaced Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza move southward after Israeli forces ordered residents of Gaza City to evacuate to the south, in central Gaza, on September 25.

For now, Trump has secured Netanyahu’s words of support and endorsements from several Arab leaders. But history suggests the real measure will be what happens once the leaders leave Washington—and whether the plan survives the first inevitable crisis on the ground.