In September 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump introduced a 20-point Comprehensive Plan aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza. The plan called for a framework to cease hostilities, secure the release of remaining hostages, provide humanitarian aid, establish transitional governance in Gaza, and ultimately demilitarize the territory to facilitate reconstruction. The United Nations Security Council adopted this plan on November 17, 2025, through Resolution 2803, which also endorsed the creation of the Board of Peace to oversee its implementation.
Nearly a year after a ceasefire was established, the United Nations reported in September 2026 that key components of the plan remain unfulfilled. Armed groups, including Hamas, have not disarmed, transitional governance structures have not been activated, and the International Stabilization Force has not deployed as intended. Central to the deadlock is a disagreement over the sequencing of the plan’s second phase. The United States and Israel insist that dismantling Hamas’s military capabilities must precede any troop withdrawal or full reconstruction efforts. Conversely, leaders from Arab states call for immediate humanitarian relief, critical infrastructure rehabilitation, and a clear commitment to the two-state solution as preconditions.
Complicating the situation, financing for reconstruction has stalled due to the unresolved political and security issues. Saudi Arabia, which signed the Declaration of the Founding Donors to the Board of Peace in February 2026 and pledged $1 billion toward the peace and reconstruction effort, has withheld disbursement of funds. Riyadh has conditioned its full financial support on progress toward humanitarian aid delivery and advancement of the two-state solution, contributing to the impasse.
Saudi Arabia is viewed as a pivotal actor capable of breaking the diplomatic deadlock and restoring U.S. credibility in the Middle East. While Riyadh concurs that the disarmament of Hamas is essential before advancing to the plan’s second phase, it also faces pressing security challenges, notably increased attacks from Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Since September 2026, the intensity of Houthi strikes on Riyadh has heightened, underscoring Saudi Arabia’s vulnerability amid cautious regional support under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. This has prompted discussions about alternative security arrangements.
The United States has considered escalating its military involvement against the Houthis and may now pursue a more strategic approach, including offering Saudi Arabia enhanced security guarantees surpassing the 2025 Strategic Defense Agreement. Proposals include a U.S.-Saudi joint defense treaty that would commit American forces to direct action against the Houthi threat, providing Riyadh with stronger protection and political leverage to recommit to the second phase of the Gaza plan without additional preconditions.
Such a treaty could also deepen U.S.-mediated security cooperation between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which have begun sharing intelligence on the Houthi threat. This partnership could enable the U.S. to implement a tiered response strategy—initially providing intelligence and defense support, with more direct involvement if necessary—while reinforcing Saudi-Israeli ties and advancing broader regional normalization efforts.
By incentivizing Saudi Arabia to reengage with the Comprehensive Plan, the United States aims to restore the plan’s credibility and encourage other Board of Peace members to follow suit, potentially bolstering regional stability. Advocates of this approach emphasize that while the two-state solution remains a critical diplomatic goal, it should not be a prerequisite for implementing the plan's security and reconstruction phases. Instead, progress depends on mutual compliance to create conditions that could eventually enable Palestinian self-determination.