On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his peace plan for the Gaza Strip, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he supports, while reserving the right to “finish the mission” if Hamas rejects it.

Trump spoke at a joint press conference with Netanyahu after a lengthy meeting, calling it “perhaps one of the most beautiful days in the history of civilizations.”

Trump thanked Netanyahu for his “approval” of the plan and expressed hope that Hamas would also approve it.

The plan, published by the White House shortly before the conference, calls for an immediate ceasefire if both parties agree, the release of all hostages held in Gaza within 72 hours of Israel’s public approval of the agreement, followed by the release of Palestinian prisoners sentenced to death held by Israel.

It also stipulates that Gaza will be disarmed and governed by a transitional committee composed of Palestinian technocrats and international experts under a board chaired by Donald Trump, with no role whatsoever for Hamas.

Hamas received the text of the plan from Qatari and Egyptian mediators, according to a source who spoke to AFP.

The source, who wished to remain anonymous, said Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egyptian General Intelligence Director Mahmoud Rashad “met with Hamas negotiators and handed them the twenty-point plan. Hamas negotiators said they would study the plan in good faith and respond.”

However, the Islamic Jihad movement, which fights alongside Hamas, considered Trump’s plan a “recipe for continued aggression” against the Palestinian people.

Its Secretary-General, Ziad al-Nakhala, said in a statement: “What was announced at the press conference between Trump and Netanyahu is a U.S.-Israeli agreement, fully reflecting Israel’s position, and is a recipe for continued aggression against the Palestinian people… a recipe for igniting the region.”

Trump confirmed he would chair the “Peace Management Board” overseeing the transitional phase in Gaza, which will include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who quickly welcomed the “brave and smart plan” of the U.S. president.

During this phase, the affairs of the Palestinian sector will be managed by a “non-political technocratic” Palestinian committee.

Other provisions in the plan state that the U.S. will work with “Arab and international partners to form an international force to stabilize Gaza, to be deployed immediately.”

Trump emphasized the importance of the role of Arab kings and leaders in implementing the plan, thanking countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan.

Netanyahu said: “I support your plan to end the war in Gaza, which achieves our military objectives. It will return all our hostages to Israel, dismantle Hamas’s military capabilities, end its political rule, and ensure Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel.”

He added: “Hamas will be disarmed. Gaza will be weapon-free. Israel will retain security responsibility, including a security zone in the foreseeable future. Gaza will also have a peaceful civilian administration not run by Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.”

He further stated: “If Hamas rejects your plan, Mr. President, or claims acceptance but does everything possible to oppose it, Israel will finish the mission itself. This can be done easily or with difficulty, but it will be done.”

The plan calls for amnesty for Hamas members “who pledge peaceful coexistence and surrender their weapons,” and for a safe passage for Hamas members wishing to leave Gaza to countries willing to receive them.

Trump told Netanyahu he would have his “full support” if Hamas rejects the plan.

Netanyahu faces significant pressure domestically and internationally to end the war.

The Israeli Hostages Families Forum urged the U.S. president to stick to the plan he proposed to end the Gaza war.

In an open letter, they wrote: “We respectfully ask you to stand firmly against any attempts to obstruct the agreement you presented.”

After Netanyahu announced his approval of the plan, the Hostages Families Forum issued a statement calling Trump’s plan “historic.”

They said: “This historic agreement will allow our people to recover, end the war, and chart a new future for the Middle East,” praising Netanyahu’s approval.

The statement added: “The world must exert maximum pressure to ensure Hamas commits to this historic opportunity for peace.”

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Trump’s “commitment” to “end the war” in Gaza and free the hostages.

The Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to AFP based on official Israeli figures.

The attackers also took 251 hostages to Gaza, where 47 remain held, including 25 whom the Israeli army says have died.

The ongoing intense Israeli military campaign in Gaza in response to the attack has killed 66,055 people, mostly civilians, according to figures from Hamas’s health ministry, considered reliable by the United Nations.

Trump’s plan also stipulates that no Gaza residents “will be forced” to leave, and calls for expanding and accelerating aid to the war-devastated and famine-stricken Gaza Strip, according to the United Nations.

The plan also includes development and investment for the Palestinian sector.