Trump’s plan for Gaza: shock and reset
US President Donald Trump paved the way for a new initiative in Gaza, under which he gave Hamas 3-4 days to respond to his plan, which includes 21 items, which include releasing Israeli prisoners within 72 hours, disarming Hamas, and temporarily managing Gaza through a Palestinian committee under the supervision of an international council headed by Trump, with a reconstruction program that opens the door to a future Palestinian state.
While several Arab countries welcomed the plan, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey, and affirmed their support for introducing humanitarian aid and stopping the war, the initiative faced strong Israeli opposition from the Israeli right, which described the plan as “a return to Oslo and a diplomatic failure.”
The plan comes at a critical time for Hamas, which faces a leadership vacuum and a new strategy for international and regional pressure.
Qatar hosted a meeting with the participation of delegations from Hamas, Turkey and Egypt, in an attempt to mitigate the shock and create space for negotiation.
Reset Equations
The American plan reflects profound strategic shifts in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It links security, politics, and the economy, and forces Hamas to choose between continuing the confrontation or entering a phase of reconstruction and a new political system. It also reveals the difference in positions within Israel itself, between a leadership that sees the plan as an opportunity to rearrange the situation, and right-wing forces that see it as a threat to national security.
At the level of the Palestinian public, the proposal raises widespread controversy, as citizens in Gaza face a difficult reality, including widespread destruction of life and infrastructure, with the need for a comprehensive political solution that restores their basic rights and hope for a better future.
The next challenge
The biggest question remains the extent to which Hamas is able to manage the strategic and political vacuum imposed by the American initiative, and the extent of its willingness to contribute to resetting reality in Gaza without internal collapse. On the other hand, Israeli and international reactions will be a measure of the plan’s impact on the regional and Palestinian balance of power, and may redraw the map of conflict in the region in a new way.
