Trump’s Gaza Plan Draws Growing Global Support One Year Later

One year has passed since President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, launching an ambitious initiative designed to deliver long-term stability to Gaza and the broader region.

Since the truce took effect and Trump’s 20-point framework was introduced, the plan has attracted international backing — including support from quarters that were not initially expected to embrace it.

Josh Gruenbaum, a senior adviser to the Board of Peace, told News Media that much of the progress over the past year stemmed from Trump’s leadership and determination to pursue a diplomatic solution.

“The unlock was somebody who came in, who really knew the file because they had the chance to study it and understand it,” Gruenbaum said. Trump and his team — including U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, U.S. special envoy for Peace Jared Kushner and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — built trusted relationships with regional governments and paired diplomacy with “peace through strength.” That effort, he said, made Hamas recognize that the conflict could end “the very hard way” or through a more dignified exit offered by the 20-point proposal.

The strategy also focused on creating international agreement, including in Europe, that the plan was “the only game in town” and the most practical route to ending the conflict, Gruenbaum said. He identified the Board of Peace’s close ties with the United Nations as another major advantage.

In November 2025, the United Nations formally backed the Board of Peace through Resolution 2803.

European Commissioner for the Mediterranean and Demography Dubravka Šuica said during a September briefing at the Board of Peace that the European Union had assembled roughly $1 billion for Gaza’s early recovery. The funding will support projects with the UNDP and UNICEF, she said, adding that the work would follow the priorities of the Board of Peace and the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, or NCAG.

The International Stabilization Force, which is expected to train a future Gaza police service and supervise demilitarization, has secured commitments from Kazakhstan, Morocco, Albania and Kosovo. Additional countries are reportedly being considered for participation.

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The Board of Peace plan excludes the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, commonly known as UNRWA, from Gaza’s future administration. The Board has stated that UNRWA will not play a role in the territory. Meanwhile, the USAID Office of the Inspector General is investigating more than 1,500 UNRWA employees over alleged ties to terrorist organizations.

In a recent post on X, the Board of Peace said it would work only with “trusted partners who deliver for the people of Gaza and contribute to a deradicalized Strip.” The organization added that “UNRWA fails on those litmus tests.”

The initiative has also drawn backing from unexpected figures. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrote in a June Financial Times editorial that the proposal was “not the one many of us would have drafted.” Still, she said it was the only framework with enough leverage, political involvement and potential funding to push the parties toward implementation.

The Board of Peace has received approximately $18 billion in reconstruction pledges, according to a recent BBC report. A Board official told News Media that the next phase includes a six-month program featuring 66 recovery projects. The initiatives will focus on clearing rubble and unexploded ordnance, building temporary housing and dismantling tunnel infrastructure. Their projected cost is $2.45 billion, and bids for some projects have already been submitted.

The coming year will bring significant challenges, particularly the complete demilitarization and deradicalization of Hamas in Gaza. Gruenbaum described the Board of Peace as “realistic and sober,” while saying it is engaged in a historic moment with Hamas after securing verbal commitments and offering conditional amnesty to those who qualify.

Gruenbaum maintains that the 20-point framework represents Hamas’ strongest available option as regional circumstances narrow its alternatives. Mediators are increasingly supporting the Board of Peace, Tehran is preoccupied with its own war and Israel continues to exert pressure. At the same time, he said, the Board continues to insist that all sides honor the ceasefire.

Gruenbaum said deradicalization will not be imposed from Washington but overseen by the NCAG. He noted that members of the committee have children raised under the existing UNRWA-run system and therefore understand the environment. Under the plan, a new technocratic administration staffed by experienced civil servants would take responsibility for vetting teachers and other individuals involved in Gaza’s civilian governance.

Gruenbaum celebrated the potential of bringing together the NCAG and Israeli authorities through the transformation of Gaza. “This is a monumental opportunity for the Palestinian people of Gaza where their governing body is going to be uniquely focused on delivering services for its constituents and if we could create this amazing relationship where we build trust between Israel and the NCAG, we deliver on both sides of the equation – security for Israel and freedom and a better life, self-determination and prosperity-building inside of Gaza. That’s a two-way trust-building system.”

Gruenbaum added that the successes in Gaza could lead to successes elsewhere. “Maybe these best practices get learned by the Palestinian Authority. Maybe Israel starts adding more trust with different people in the system. I think this is a huge moment in the history of the Middle East.”