Both the Israeli and the American governments insist that the "Trump peace plan", the text of which was set out in my September 30 message retransmitted below, requires the complete disarmament of Hamas, which, with an estimated 20,000 surviving Hamas-affiliated resistance fighters possessing guns would be challenging both conceptually and in terms of any potential implementation.
However, it may be worth noting that, while the plan refers to Hamas, it does not refer specifically to Palestinian Islamic Jihad or any other resistance movement in Gaza and, notably and understandably, does not explicitly require stripping the Palestinian people of any means of offering armed resistance to an illegal occupation, as Israel's continuing presence on any portion of the territory of the State of Palestine has been definitively declared to be by the International Court of Justice and the UN General Assembly, since doing so would give the game away, armed resistance to an illegal occupation being an absolute right under international law.
This aspect of the plan, one of several aspects which flagrantly violate international law, suggests potential possibilities for continued resistance in compliance with international law:
Option 1: Hamas-affiliated fighters who wish to continue armed resistance could declare the transfer their allegiance to Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Option 2: Hamas could follow the Syrian example by changing its name. Ahmed al-Sharaa (formerly Abu Mohammed al-Jolani), who until recently was subject to a US$10,000,000 bounty for his capture offered by the U.S government, changed not only his own name but the names of the "terrorist" movements which he led from the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda in Iraq to the Al-Nusra Front to the Islamic Emirate in Syria to Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham and ended up as President of Syria and a darling of the West, exploiting such formal shape-shifting to pass from toxic to kosher and thereby prove that anything is possible.
An appropriate new name for Hamas would be the International Law Foundation, since, while all states supporting the "Trump peace plan" show by doing so their contempt for international law, the declared objective of both Hamas and the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah has in rercent years been simply Israeli compliance with international law -- the end of the illegal occupation, the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the internationally recognized territory of the State of Palestine (the remaining portion of historical Palestine which Israel conquered and occupied in June 1967, nothing more and nothing less) and the transformation of the current two-state legality in international law into a two-state reality on the ground.
Option 3: All resistance fighters in Gaza who wish to continue resistance could announce their unification in a new International Law Foundation or under some other name while making clear their willingness and intention to disarm once the illegal occupation ends, the State of Palestine is duly installed and operating on the ground and, hence, resistance to occupation is no longer necessary.
International law has long been on life-support as a result of the repeated consequences-free assaults against it by Israeli and American governments.
Perhaps, in the wake of all the horrors and sacrifices of the Gaza genocide, continuing inspirational Palestinian resistance and support for international law can breathe life back into it.
-------- Forwarded Message --------
| Subject: | "White House Releases Gaza Ceasefire Plan as Trump Hosts Netanyahu" (ANTIWAR) |
|---|---|
| Date: | Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:21:37 +0200 |
| From: | John V. Whitbeck <jvwhitbeck@gmail.com> |
| To: | whitbeck-blog@googlegroups.com |
FM: John Whitbeck
Transmitted below is an article which includes the text of the "Trump peace plan", in effect an Israeli-American ultimatum, which Prime Minister Netanyahu formally accepted today.
No thinking person should be so naïve as to doubt that this is an Israeli "peace plan" which the Israeli government has given the Israel-Firsters in the U.S. government to present as an American plan and which it hopes that Hamas will reject.
In 1994, soon after the Washington quarterly journal MIDDLE EAST POLICY published the first of its two publications of my "condominium solution" for sharing Jerusalem in a context of peace and reconciliation, someone arranged a meeting for me at the State Department to try to interest the U.S government in my proposal.
My interlocutor was a young Middle East specialist named David Satterfield, who went on to a distinguished career, including an ambassadorship in Turkey, and who rapidly took the wind out of my sails by telling me that I should not be so naïve as to believe that the U.S. government would ever propose an original idea regarding Israel-Palestinian peace.
And so it has been, so far as I can tell, for the past three decades.
That said, the terms of the plan set forth below would be better for the people of Gaza than the continuation of Israel's almost two-year-old ethnic cleansing and genocide plan IF the Israeli government were to adhere to all these terms.
However, it is exceedingly unlikely that Israel would do so.
Under the plan, Israel would get everything it ostensibly seeks (the release of all remaining hostages) within 72 hours, while its obligations would only come later, with extremely vague timeframes for implementation.
After the release of the hostages contemplated by the first phase of the agreement which Israel signed up to last January, Israel simply refused to proceed to the second, let alone the third, phase of the agreement and resumed its genocidal assault against the people of Gaza, with no expressions of disapproval or even disappointment from the U.S. government.
It would be a simple matter for Israel to repeat this performance if Hamas accepted this ultimatum.
In this context, as I have written before, I have long been puzzled as to why Netanyahu has not previously agreed to a plan involving the release all the remaining hostages and then simply ignored Israel's obligations once the hostages had been released.
The most likely reason seemed to be that his reputation for mendacity was so notorious that the ultra-extreme-right-ministers in his government could not be certain of the sincerity of his insincerity and threatened to bring down his coalition government, leaving him to the mercy of both domestic and international courts, if he entered into any such agreement.
Presumably, Netanyahu has, while still hoping that Hamas will reject this ultimatum, managed to convince these ministers of the sincerity of his insincerity in this instance.
All of the above said, it now remains up to whatever leadership of Hamas remains alive and capable of communication to make the difficult decision whether or not it is in the best interests of the Palestinian people to accept this ultimatum.
The White House released a 20-point plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip on Monday, as President Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his fourth visit to Washington this year (read the full ceasefire proposal at the end of the article).
During a joint press conference, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he has accepted the proposal, though throughout the genocidal war, he has repeatedly sabotaged ceasefire deals, and there are several points that Hamas may not accept. Israel also broke the last ceasefire deal that was signed in January 2025. A Hamas official told Reuters that the group has yet to receive a written peace proposal.
Netanyahu said that if Hamas doesn’t accept the US-Israeli proposal, Israel will “finish the job” in Gaza, and Trump said he’s willing to continue backing the slaughter in Gaza. “If Hamas rejects the deal, Bibi you will have our full backing to do what you have to do,” Trump said.
The deal would involve an immediate ceasefire followed by Hamas releasing all remaining Israeli captives. Once that happens, Israel will release 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1,700 Palestinians thrown in Israeli prisons after October 7th, 2023, including all women and children detained in that context.
The deal includes a phased Israeli withdrawal, although it would allow Israel to maintain control of a “buffer zone” inside Gaza’s border, one of the potential sticking points for Hamas. It will establish a temporary transitional government headed by “apolitical” Palestinians that will be overseen by a so-called “Board of Peace.” Trump will be the chair of the board, and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair will also be involved.
The proposal calls for the “demilitarization” of Gaza, which could be rejected by Hamas since the group has said it wouldn’t disarm until a Palestinian state is formed. Under the US plan, the US would “work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) to immediately deploy in Gaza.”
The deal envisions a “reformed” Palestinian Authority eventually taking over governance in Gaza, an idea Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected. The outline also says that if the deal is implemented, it may lead to a “credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood,” but it doesn’t mention the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Israel continues to expand illegal Jewish settlements.
The proposal also says that Israel will “not occupy or annex Gaza” and that “no one will be forced to leave Gaza,” a break from Trump’s previous calls for the removal of the Palestinian population, which Israeli officials have used to push for the ethnic cleansing of the territory.
The following is the full ceasefire plan as outlined by the White House:
President Donald J. Trump’s Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict:
- Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors.
- Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough.
- If both sides agree to this proposal, the war will immediately end. Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed upon line to prepare for a hostage release. During this time, all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment, will be suspended, and battle lines will remain frozen until conditions are met for the complete staged withdrawal.
- Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.
- Once all hostages are released, Israel will release 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1700 Gazans who were detained after October 7th 2023, including all women and children detained in that context. For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans.
- Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries.
- Upon acceptance of this agreement, full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip. At a minimum, aid quantities will be consistent with what was included in the January 19, 2025, agreement regarding humanitarian aid, including rehabilitation of infrastructure (water, electricity, sewage), rehabilitation of hospitals and bakeries, and entry of necessary equipment to remove rubble and open roads.
- Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in addition to other international institutions not associated in any manner with either party. Opening the Rafah crossing in both directions will be subject to the same mechanism implemented under the January 19, 2025 agreement.
- Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the “Board of Peace,” which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with other members and heads of State to be announced, including Former Prime Minister Tony Blair. This body will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump’s peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French proposal, and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza. This body will call on best international standards to create modern and efficient governance that serves the people of Gaza and is conducive to attracting investment.
- A Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energize Gaza will be created by convening a panel of experts who have helped birth some of the thriving modern miracle cities in the Middle East. Many thoughtful investment proposals and exciting development ideas have been crafted by well-meaning international groups, and will be considered to synthesize the security and governance frameworks to attract and facilitate these investments that will create jobs, opportunity, and hope for future Gaza.
- A special economic zone will be established with preferred tariff and access rates to be negotiated with participating countries.
- No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return. We will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.
- Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form. All military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt. There will be a process of demilitarization of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use through an agreed process of decommissioning, and supported by an internationally funded buy back and reintegration program all verified by the independent monitors. New Gaza will be fully committed to building a prosperous economy and to peaceful coexistence with their neighbors.
- A guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas, and the factions, comply with their obligations and that New Gaza poses no threat to its neighbors or its people.
- The United States will work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) to immediately deploy in Gaza. The ISF will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza, and will consult with Jordan and Egypt who have extensive experience in this field. This force will be the long-term internal security solution. The ISF will work with Israel and Egypt to help secure border areas, along with newly trained Palestinian police forces. It is critical to prevent munitions from entering Gaza and to facilitate the rapid and secure flow of goods to rebuild and revitalize Gaza. A deconfliction mechanism will be agreed upon by the parties.
- Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza. As the ISF establishes control and stability, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will withdraw based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed upon between the IDF, ISF, the guarantors, and the United States, with the objective of a secure Gaza that no longer poses a threat to Israel, Egypt, or its citizens. Practically, the IDF will progressively hand over the Gaza territory it occupies to the ISF according to an agreement they will make with the transitional authority until they are withdrawn completely from Gaza, save for a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat.
- In the event Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, the above, including the scaled-up aid operation, will proceed in the terror-free areas handed over from the IDF to the ISF.
- An interfaith dialogue process will be established based on the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence to try and change mindsets and narratives of Palestinians and Israelis by emphasizing the benefits that can be derived from peace.
- While Gaza re-development advances and when the PA reform program is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.
- The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence.
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