Witkoff proposal envisions hostages released in first 48 hours, grants amnesty for peace-committing Hamas members, encourages Gazans to remain, sees US establish Israeli-Palestinian dialogue
NEW YORK — The US proposal for ending the war in Gaza encourages Palestinians to remain in the Strip and provides for the creation of a pathway to a future Palestinian state, according to a copy of the plan obtained by The Times of Israel.
The 21-point document shared by the US with a handful of Arab and Muslim countries earlier this week on the United Nations General Assembly sidelines also contains clauses that have been staples in various proposals crafted by different stakeholders in recent months — from the release of all hostages to Hamas’s removal from power.
But the decision to explicitly encourage Palestinians to remain in Gaza capped off a major evolution for the Trump administration on the issue, given that Trump in February shocked much of the world with talk of the US taking over Gaza and permanently relocating its entire population of roughly two million people.
Those remarks gave significant tailwind to the idea among Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners and even among more moderate Israeli political figures who have since worked actively to “encourage the voluntary migration” of Gazans, albeit with no success to date.
Moreover, the proposal’s envisioning of a potential pathway to a future Palestinian state after Gaza’s redevelopment has advanced and the Palestinian Authority’s reform has been completed also appears to be a major departure from the Trump administration’s policy to date, given that it has avoided expressing backing for a two-state solution.
The plan obtained by The Times of Israel — and authenticated by two sources familiar with the matter — even sees the US establishing a dialogue with Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a “political horizon” for “peaceful coexistence.”
While those terms are major selling points for the Palestinians, the proposal crafted largely by US special envoy Steve Witkoff — and that is poised to be fine-tuned in the coming days — also includes clauses that Israel has long demanded.
Those include a commitment for Hamas to disarm, the demilitarization of Gaza and the establishment of a process to de-radicalize the population.
Those requirements will likely make the proposal a difficult sell to Hamas, and the plan’s creation of a potential pathway to a future Palestinian state could well be a red line for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has long campaigned on having prevented a two-state solution.
But US President Donald Trump was optimistic on Friday about his chances, telling reporters earlier in the day that a deal may already be in place before posting on Truth Social that “intense negotiations have been going on for four days and will continue for as long as necessary to get a successfully completed agreement.
“All of the countries within the region are involved, Hamas is very much aware of these discussions, and Israel has been informed at all levels, including Prime Minister [Benjamin] Bibi Netanyahu,” he added, referring to the premier by his nickname.
The US proposal is still rather light on details, and subsequent negotiations will likely be necessary, even if the sides agree to the plan.
What are the 21 points?
The following are the contents of the plan that have been paraphrased at the request of the sources who provided it.
1. Gaza will be a de-radicalized, terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors.
2. Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of its people.
3. If both sides agree to the proposal, the war will immediately end, with Israeli forces halting all operations and gradually withdrawing from the Strip.
4. Within 48 hours of Israel publicly accepting the deal, all living and deceased hostages will be returned.
5. Once the hostages are returned, Israel will free several hundred Palestinian security prisoners serving life sentences and over 1,000 Gazans arrested since the start of the war, along with the bodies of several hundred Palestinians.
6. Once the hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful coexistence will be granted amnesty, while members who wish to leave the Strip will be granted safe passage to receiving countries.
7. Once this agreement is reached, aid will surge into the Strip at rates no lower than the benchmarks set in the January 2025 hostage deal, which included 600 trucks of aid per day, along with the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure and the entry of equipment for removing rubble.
8. Aid will be distributed — without interference from either side — by the United Nations and the Red Crescent, along with other international organizations not associated with either Israel or Hamas.
The text of this clause appears intentionally vague and seemingly leaves an opening for the continued operation of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, as it technically is an American organization, even if it was the brainchild of Israelis linked to the government and was crafted to fit the Israeli government’s prosecution of the war.
9. Gaza will be governed by a temporary, transitional government of Palestinian technocrats who will be responsible for providing day-to-day services for the people of the Strip. The committee will be supervised by a new international body established by the US in consultation with Arab and European partners. It will establish a framework for funding the redevelopment of Gaza until the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program.
This is the US plan’s first mention of the Ramallah-based PA. Israel has ruled out the authority as a potential ruler of Gaza, thereby nixing what has become the key to recruiting Arab assistance in the post-war management of the Strip, given that the international community views unifying the West Bank and Gaza under a single, reformed governing body as essential for long-term stability and peace.
The apparent decision to reserve the PA’s role for an unspecified later date will likely be a difficult pill for Ramallah to swallow, but it also has limited leverage to bear in these discussions.
Point nine appears to borrow heavily from former UK prime minister Tony Blair’s plan for ending the war, which was first revealed by The Times of Israel earlier this month.
Blair and former White House senior adviser Jared Kushner have been working on the Gaza file for months, while advising Witkoff.
10. An economic plan will be created to rebuild Gaza through the convening of experts with experience in constructing modern Middle East cities and through the consideration of existing plans aimed at attracting investments and creating jobs.
11. An economic zone will be established, with reduced tariffs and access rates to be negotiated by participating countries.
12. No one will be forced to leave Gaza, but those who choose to leave will be allowed to return. Moreover, Gazans will be encouraged to remain in the Strip and offered an opportunity to build a better future there.
13. Hamas will have no role in Gaza’s governance whatsoever. There will be a commitment to destroy and stop building any offensive military infrastructure, including tunnels. Gaza’s new leaders will commit to peaceful coexistence with their neighbors.
14. A security guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas and other Gaza factions comply with their obligations and that Gaza ceases to pose a threat to Israel or its own people.
15. The US will work with Arab and other international partners to develop a temporary international stabilization force that will immediately deploy in Gaza to oversee security in the Strip. The force will develop and train a Palestinian police force, which will serve as a long-term internal security body.
16. Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza, and the IDF will gradually hand over territory it currently occupies, as the replacement security forces establish control and stability in the Strip.
17. If Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, the above points will proceed in terror-free areas, which the IDF will gradually hand over to the international stabilization force.
This is the first mention of the possibility that the deal could be at least partially implemented, even if Hamas doesn’t agree.
18. Israel agrees not to carry out future strikes in Qatar. The US and the international community acknowledge Doha’s important mediating role in the Gaza conflict.
19. A process will be established to de-radicalize the population. This will include an interfaith dialogue aimed at changing mindsets and narratives in Israel and Gaza.
20. When Gaza’s redevelopment has been advanced and the PA reform program has been implemented, the conditions may be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian statehood, which is recognized as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.
The clause doesn’t provide details regarding the Palestinian reform program and is not definitive regarding when the pathway to statehood can be established.
21. The US will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful coexistence. / read more: timesofisrael.com
