Ceasefire or escalation? Trump’s peace plan meets Israeli resistance

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Mariella Succar

As long as U.S. President Donald Trump has not concluded his Middle East tour, some Israelis still hope his surprise announcement will be a Gaza ceasefire.

The talks led by Washington on this issue have been intensive. The current focus is on modifying the proposal from U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff to secure agreement from both Israel and Hamas—potentially allowing Trump to declare an end to the war after his trip, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously blocked it.

Sources say the timing of the assassination attempt on senior Hamas figure Mohammed Sinwar, who plays a key role in negotiations, was not coincidental. 

Hamas viewed the attempt as evidence of Netanyahu’s refusal to end the war, while some Israeli analysts saw it as a central, indirect reason the deal’s announcement was derailed.

Details have also emerged about a Tel Aviv plan to end the war in Gaza, which began to be discussed before Trump arrived in the Gulf and continued during his tour. 

According to information leaked in Israel, the plan aims for a comprehensive regional settlement, reportedly tied to Trump’s pursuit of a Nobel Peace Prize. The initiative was shaped with input from the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

The plan calls for an immediate ceasefire, followed by negotiations to end the war before a second group of hostages is released. 

It also includes the delivery of humanitarian aid and a full cessation of Israeli military operations.

Hamas would be required to hand over its weapons to an Arab party, and its leaders would leave Gaza. 

Temporary housing would be built pending reconstruction, which an Arab-American committee would oversee made up of representatives from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United States, Palestine, and the European Union.

While the direct reasons for Netanyahu’s opposition to the U.S.-Arab plan and Trump’s anticipated announcement remain unclear, what is evident so far is that Netanyahu is preparing to expand the war in Gaza.

Caught between hope for a last-minute breakthrough and growing pessimism, it is the people of Gaza who continue to bear the cost of war.