President Donald Trump faced criticism on September 29 following what observers characterized as a memory lapse during his White House speech announcing a Gaza peace plan alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The incident occurred during a joint press conference in the White House Dining Room where Trump discussed his interactions with world leaders.
During the announcement of his comprehensive 20-point Gaza peace proposal, Trump made remarks about his relationships with international leaders that drew immediate attention. “But I’ve known them actually for a long time, and they’re in many cases really great men,” he stated, before adding additional commentary about gender representation among world leaders that critics seized upon as evidence of confused thinking.
The president’s Gaza peace plan, presented as a framework to end the ongoing conflict, includes provisions for an immediate ceasefire, release of Israeli and Palestinian prisoners and hostages, and the disarmament of Hamas with amnesty for members who surrender their weapons. The proposal also calls for establishing an international stabilization force to handle security in Gaza and creating an international transitional authority to govern the territory.
Trump indicated that the plan promises Palestinians will not be forcibly removed from Gaza, while Netanyahu provided only tepid acceptance of the proposal during their joint appearance. The Israeli leader insisted on maintaining his government’s agenda of destroying Hamas and ending its presence in Gaza, highlighting apparent disagreements between the two allies despite their public show of unity.
The president established a deadline of three to four days for Hamas to respond to the proposal, warning that rejection would lead to unfortunate consequences for the militant organization. Qatar’s foreign ministry confirmed that Hamas is studying the White House proposal, though a senior Hamas official told the BBC the group is likely to reject the plan, claiming it serves Israeli interests while ignoring Palestinian concerns.
The 20-point framework includes specific provisions for Gaza’s future governance, establishing what the plan describes as a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee responsible for delivering day-to-day public services. Additionally, the proposal creates a Board of Peace to be chaired by Trump himself, with other international leaders including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair expected to participate.
Multiple Arab and Muslim nations, including Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Turkey, issued a joint statement welcoming Trump’s leadership and expressing willingness to finalize the agreement. These countries view the proposal as working toward a two-state solution and have reportedly pressured Hamas to accept the plan.
Critics of the peace proposal, including analysts from the Middle East Monitor, described the framework as fundamentally flawed and lacking substance. They argued the plan fails to address accountability for alleged Israeli actions in Gaza and does not provide adequate guarantees for Palestinian self-determination, despite including conditional provisions for potential statehood.
The announcement came amid logistical challenges at the White House, where a Secret Service vehicle caught fire near the intersection of 18th Street Northwest and Pennsylvania Avenue shortly before 10 a.m. The fire, determined to be caused by an electrical issue, created black plumes of smoke but resulted in no injuries and did not impact security operations for the high-profile meeting.
Israeli public opinion polling shows 71 percent support for the American plan, though only 12 percent of respondents expressed confidence in its implementation. Within Netanyahu’s coalition government, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir raised objections, warning against violating longstanding opposition to Palestinian statehood.
The proposal represents Trump’s fourth meeting with Netanyahu since January, following the Israeli leader’s address to the United Nations General Assembly where dozens of delegates left the hall during his speech. The framework aims to eliminate Hamas as a governing authority in Gaza while establishing international oversight for the territory’s reconstruction and governance.
Implementation of the plan would require cooperation from Egypt and Jordan, specifically named as consultants and key actors in creating the International Stabilization Force. Egypt would extend its current role in managing the Rafah border crossing, working alongside newly trained Palestinian police forces to prevent weapons from entering Gaza while securing the entry of humanitarian goods.
The president’s remarks about his relationships with world leaders, combined with the complex nature of the peace proposal, highlighted both the ambitious scope of the diplomatic effort and the challenges facing its implementation. The plan’s success depends heavily on Hamas’ response within the established timeframe and the continued cooperation of regional partners who have expressed initial support for the framework.
Sources:
https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/another-half-baked-trump-gaza-plan/
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cd63wl4z6q3t
https://people.com/secret-service-vehicle-catches-fire-white-house-11820541
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20251001-trumps-gaza-peace-plan-a-moral-and-deliberate-failure/
https://www.aol.com/articles/trump-says-real-chance-greatness-100048567.html
