Trump peace plan to end Israel-Hamas war in Gaza met with cautious optimism, skepticism

WASHINGTON (OSV News) -- President Donald Trump released a 20-point peace plan to end the Israel-Hamas war Sept. 29, which was met with cautious optimism from some world leaders -- including Pope Leo XIV -- and skepticism from others as it remained to be seen whether Hamas would accept the agreement amid increasing international concern about humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip.

During a White House visit with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the plan could be a "historic day for peace," but said that if Hamas did not accept the plan, Israel "would have my full backing" to "finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas."

Trump told reporters Sept. 30 he would give Hamas "three or four days" to respond to his proposal. The Associated Press reported that while the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, "welcomed the announcement," Hamas officials had not indicated whether they would accept the terms.

"Hamas is either going to be doing it or it's not; and if it's not, it's going to be a sad end," Trump said.

In comments to reporters Sept. 30 at Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo said, "It seems that it is a realistic proposal."

"There are elements that I think are very interesting, and I hope Hamas accepts it in the established timeframe," he said.

The plan calls for an immediate ceasefire and for Hamas to release all of its remaining hostages within 72 hours, living or dead. The militant group still holds 48 hostages, and Israeli officials believe 20 of them are still alive, AP reported. In exchange, Israel would free 250 Palestinians serving life sentences in its prisons, and another 1,700 people from Gaza it detained, including all women and children.

"Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough," the White House plan states, adding, "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."

The plan also left the door open to "a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood." Although Netanyahu said he agreed to Trump's plan, he also said he would continue to oppose a Palestinian state.

Mary Ellen O'Connell, a professor at Notre Dame Law School who specializes in international law and conflict resolution, expressed concern about Trump's approach in comments to OSV News. While the plan was developed without Hamas and could be implemented without them, she said, there did not appear to be any effort to similarly pressure Israel to end its attacks.

"If Israel ended its attacks, allowed troops from Arab countries to replace its own, and aid flooded in, the U.S. would have a far better chance of negotiating the release of the hostages," O'Connell said. "But President Trump has put no pressure on Israel to take any of these three critical steps."

Hamas attacked Israel Oct. 7, 2023, carrying out the largest mass killing of Jews since the Holocaust and provoking Israel to declare war the following day. About 1,200 people were killed in the surprise attack by Hamas, officially designated a terrorist entity by the U.S. government, with militants engaging in sexual violence and taking hostages before retreating to Gaza.

In the nearly two years since, the Israeli government's management of the ensuing conflict has been met with scrutiny and criticism, including from the United Nations, over its actions that led to civilian casualties, mass displacement, and famine.

Poll numbers show Americans' broad support for Israel in the wake of the 2023 attack has significantly declined, with most respondents in a recent New York Times-Siena College poll saying Israel should end its military campaign.

Pope Leo -- like his predecessor Pope Francis -- is among the world leaders who have raised alarm at the humanitarian issues presented by the conflict.

The Vatican has formally recognized the state of Palestine since 2015, and has called for the implementation of a two-state solution for lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

The plan states Gaza would "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." The government would be made up of "qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the 'Board of Peace.'"

That board would 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," it said.

"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," the plan continued. "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."

European and Middle Eastern leaders welcomed the plan, the BBC reported, citing a joint statement from the foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan. It welcomed Trump's "leadership and his sincere efforts to end the war in Gaza," and called for a Palestinian state inclusive of Gaza and the West Bank, while stopping short of agreeing to the Trump peace plan itself.

French President Emmanuel Macron wrote in a post on X, "I welcome President Trump's commitment to ending the war in Gaza and ensuring the release of all hostages."

He said, "I hope that Israel will engage firmly on this basis. Hamas has no choice but to immediately release all hostages and follow this path."

During his pontificate, Pope Leo has appealed for both a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages. In his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square Sept. 17, Pope Leo expressed his "profound closeness to the Palestinian people in Gaza," and lamented that they "continue to live in fear and survive in unacceptable conditions, forced once again to leave their lands."

In a recent interview before the second anniversary of Israel-Hamas war, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, said that "what is happening militarily in Gaza is a disaster," leading to a "human devastation," and the "brutalization of mutual relations between Israelis and Palestinians."

"There is no longer any trust, no human interest of one side in the other," the cardinal told German Catholic news agency KNA. "It is an inhumanity that is almost incomprehensible."