Middle Eastern and European leaders cautiously back Trump’s Gaza peace plan; Palestinians voice doubts

Middle Eastern and European leaders offered guarded support on Tuesday for Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to halt the war in Gaza, while many Palestinians expressed scepticism about its feasibility.

The plan, unveiled Monday by Trump alongside Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, proposes an immediate ceasefire, the exchange of Hamas-held hostages for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas disarmament, and a transitional government administered by an international body.
By Tuesday morning, Netanyahu distanced himself from parts of the proposal, including the clause stating Israel would not occupy Gaza and would fully withdraw, saying the army “will remain in most of Gaza”.

Leaders from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan and Egypt welcomed the initiative in principle as the only US-backed route to end what a UN inquiry determined this month to be an ongoing genocide, and said they were prepared to work with Washington on implementation. The plan’s prospects, however, hinge on Hamas, whose exclusion from talks and the demand that it relinquish governance over Gaza prompted doubts among residents and analysts.

In southern Gaza, Ibrahim Joudeh told AFP the proposal felt unworkable, arguing it was crafted with terms Washington and Israel knew Hamas would never accept—meaning, for people on the ground, the fighting and hardship would simply drag on. Abu Mazen Nassar called the move a ploy, questioning how prisoners could be released without firm, official guarantees to halt the war, and saying Hamas had led civilians into a disaster of its own making.

Several U.S. allies that recently recognized Palestine threw their weight behind the plan. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged Hamas to agree and “end the misery,” while France’s Emmanuel Macron said the group had no real alternative but to comply. Spain welcomed the initiative and pressed both sides to commit to stopping the violence. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen encouraged “all parties to now seize this opportunity,” and Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, called it the “best chance” to bring the war to an end.

Former US officials from the Obama and Biden administrations characterised the proposal as a “good deal”. Brett McGurk, a former US National Security Council official, said that with Israel and a group of Arab and Islamic countries backing the plan, “all international pressure must now come down squarely on Hamas”. Dan Shapiro, Barack Obama’s ambassador to Israel, called the plan “credible” and added: “Next step is to get Hamas to accept it, which requires strong pressure on them from Qatar and Turkey.”

Under the plan’s details, a transitional authority would oversee Gaza until the Palestinian Authority completes a programme of “reform”, with supervision by an international “board of peace” chaired by Trump. The Palestinian Authority welcomed efforts to end the conflict and called for a comprehensive agreement leading to a “just peace on the basis of [a] two-state solution”.

The decision to add former U.K. prime minister Tony Blair to a “board of peace” sparked backlash. Mustafa Barghouti, who leads the Palestinian National Initiative, said Palestinians had already lived through British colonial rule and argued Blair is widely disliked locally, telling the Washington Post that his name immediately brings to mind the Iraq war.

In Israel, some sensed a potential way out of the nearly two-year conflict. In Tel Aviv—where demonstrations for a ceasefire and the return of hostages have swelled—Inbar Hayman said she felt hopeful but feared another letdown. Gal Goren, whose parents were killed in the Hamas-led assault on 7 October 2023, welcomed Donald Trump’s remarks, saying it felt validating to be heard and to see calls to both end the war and bring all hostages home.

Inside Gaza, where Israeli airstrikes reportedly killed at least 30 people on Monday, responses were varied. Street seller Anas Sorour told AFP that despite the losses, he still believes wars end and is “very optimistic” this could bring a moment of relief from suffering. Others expressed skepticism. Mohammed al-Beltaji in Gaza City said the pattern is familiar—Israel agrees, Hamas refuses, or vice versa—and ordinary people are the ones who bear the cost.