By Rohan Gunaratna
A pragmatic pathway to Palestinian statehood is in the making. After the unconditional recognition of the Palestinian statehood by Commonwealth and continental European leaders, there is still hope of Hamas-led groups in Gaza releasing the hostages in exchange for a ceasefire. The US special envoy Steve Witkoff and his team of mediators crafted a 21 point peace proposal after consulting with Israel and Arab governments. The former British prime minister Tony Blair and former White House senior adviser Jared Kushner have been advising Witkoff.
From the Oval Office: An optimistic US President Donald J. Trump claims that talks for a hostage deal are advancing in Gaza.
This proposal is the first time the US refers to a role for the Palestinian Authority in the governance of Gaza, which Israel has rejected. To be discussed and debated in the coming days, the proposal also includes clauses that Israel has long demanded. They are the release of the hostages, disarming Hamas and the other threat groups, and demilitarisation of Gaza.
Contrary to the earlier Trump plan, where he wished to depopulate and build a Riviera in Gaza, the 21 point proposal is hailed by many. The highlight is all hostages are to be released in the first 48 hours, it grants amnesty for peace-committing Hamas members, encourages Gazans to remain, and the US establish Israeli-Palestinian dialogue.
The proposal has been paraphrased by the Times of Israel’s Jacob Magid, the US bureau chief who first released it on September 27, 2025, 8:38 am.
- Gaza will be a de-radicalized, terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors.
- Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of its people.
- If Israel and Hamas agree to the proposal, the war will immediately end, with the IDF halting all operations and gradually withdrawing from the Strip.
- Within 48 hours of Israel publicly accepting the deal, all living and deceased hostages will be returned.
- 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. - 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.
- 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.] - Gaza will be administered 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.
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. - An economic zone will be established, with reduced tariffs and access rates to be negotiated by participating countries.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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. - 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.
- 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.
21. The US will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful coexistence.
Rohan Gunaratna is the editor of the ‘Handbook of Terrorism in the Middle East’ published by World Scientific Publishing