The United States unveiled a detailed 20-point plan for Gaza in September 2025, aiming to end conflict and establish stable governance and reconstruction after years of turmoil. Central to the plan was the disarmament of Hamas, followed by deployment of an international security force to oversee a technocratic government and facilitate rebuilding efforts.

A coordination center with 200 American personnel was set up in Kiryat Gat to implement the initiative. However, analysts note that the plan faced inherent challenges from the start because it depended on outcomes that had yet to be achieved. The blueprint assumed disarmament and mutual trust would precede effective peace, creating a cycle of interdependent steps without clear mechanisms to enforce compliance or build confidence between parties.

Phase one of the plan yielded significant results, including the release of hostages and a notable reduction in active hostilities—outcomes seen as important milestones after two years of conflict. Yet phase two introduced tougher obstacles. Hamas was required to surrender its means of armed resistance, the foundation of its political control in Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel faced pressure to withdraw forces and permit an international presence before any durable trust or guarantees were established. The success of this phase relied on reciprocal commitments that Hamas and Israel have historically failed to share.

Disarmament has been a particularly contentious issue. Hamas’s leadership, including its newly elected leader Khalil al-Hayya, has maintained that weapons will only be transferred to a Palestinian authority following the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Since Israel’s current government rejects such a state, the fundamental disagreement over sovereignty remains unresolved. Nevertheless, U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump, framed disarmament primarily as a technical matter, involving supervised collection, storage, and buyback of arms rather than addressing the deeper political conflict.

The roadmap released on July 30 reflects a more cautious U.S. approach than the original October 2025 vision. The plan now calls for Hamas’s weaponry and underground infrastructure to be “decommissioned and stored” under the oversight of a new Palestinian committee, with no transfer of arms to Israeli or other non-Palestinian entities. Full implementation of the broader transition process may take up to three years, but Hamas continues to emphasize that any heavy disarmament hinges on the recognition of Palestinian statehood.

Observers conclude that the plan’s reliance on conditions that neither party currently accepts has complicated its prospects. While the first phase saw tangible progress, the entrenched political divisions and mutual distrust between Hamas, Israel, and the United States have made the comprehensive roadmap difficult to realize.