Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza is deeply flawed but it may be the best offer Hamas can expect

The 20-point Gaza peace plan thrashed out under the leadership of the United States and agreed to by Israel is one of the most comprehensive outlines put forward publicly by the Trump administration for ending the conflict with Hamas.

- BY JULIE M. NORMAN Senior Associate Fellow on the Middle East at RUSI; Associate Professor in Politics & International Relations, UCL

The plan reportedly has the buy-in of the Arab states as well as the UK and France. It could mark a pivotal point for ending the war.

But Hamas was not involved in developing the plan and has yet to give an answer (although it is reportedly studying the details). And it may be that the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has already doomed the project by declaring that Israel would "forcibly resist" a Palestinian state, apparently contradicting the plan he has just endorsed.

But beyond Hamas's response, plenty of questions remain. The proposal is more a framework than a detailed plan and there are many points that require further negotiations and additional clarification for both parties.

Any agreement to end the war may fracture Netanyahu's governing coalition. His finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich has already signalled his intention to oppose the plan, calling it a "resounding diplomatic failure" that would "end in tears". So it is far from clear that Netanyahu can secure the agreement of his own parliamentary backers.

Hamas, meanwhile, is likely to view the plan as less of a proposal and more of an ultimatum. Both Netanyahu and Trump were clear that if Hamas rejects the plan, Israel will - in Trump's words - "finish the job", with all the further death and destruction that entails.

What would Hamas gain?