A botched Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Doha rattled Washington and enraged Qatar, but quickly snowballed into the diplomatic catalyst behind Trump’s sweeping Gaza peace plan — now backed by Israel and regional Arab leaders.
Israel’s bold but unsuccessful strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, has been revealed as the trigger that set off the chain of events culminating in U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace initiative, according to a report by Channel 12’s Barak Ravid.
Initially, Trump advisers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were reportedly “shocked and angered” by the strike, fearing a diplomatic crisis. But within days, the crisis became an opportunity. American officials fused an existing U.S. ceasefire-hostage proposal with a “day-after” framework Kushner had been developing with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The product: a comprehensive 21-point plan unveiled in New York during the UN General Assembly.
Arab leaders, though wary, were impressed after seeing the draft and provided feedback. By the time Trump brought the plan to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, it had grown into a historic framework endorsed by key regional players. Still, tensions ran high. One American source told Channel 12 that Trump bluntly warned Netanyahu:
“Take it or leave it. If you leave, we’re leaving you.”
Netanyahu negotiated changes to accommodate his right-wing coalition, and in the end, backed the plan with full-throated support. Standing beside Trump at the White House, Netanyahu declared:
“I support your plan to end the war in Gaza, which achieves our war aims. It will bring back to Israel all our hostages, dismantle Hamas’s military capabilities and political rule, and ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel.”
The 20-point plan calls for:
- Release of all remaining hostages.
- A permanent ceasefire.
- Gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, tied to security benchmarks.
- Creation of a post-Hamas governing authority for Gaza, comprising Palestinians backed by troops from Arab and Muslim countries.
- Regional Arab and Muslim funding for Gaza’s reconstruction, with limited Palestinian Authority involvement.
For Netanyahu, the plan is both a battlefield and diplomatic victory, achieved through Israel’s military resilience and strategic maneuvering. For Trump, it is proof of his ability to deliver a regional realignment, combining Arab pragmatism with Israel’s security needs.
As Netanyahu summed up:
“Our soldiers fight like lions at the front line of the war between civilization and barbarism. This turning point belongs to them — and to the courage to seize opportunity in the face of crisis.”
