US President Donald Trump has warned that Hamas will face big problems if the ceasefire in Gaza is violated, even as questions mount over the clarity and feasibility of his proposed Gaza peace plan. Trump announced that an “international stabilisation force” would soon be deployed to Gaza to ensure stability, but the details of the plan remain uncertain even among its key participants.
Trump’s sharp remarks came after his meeting with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani aboard Air Force One in Doha on October 25, en route to South East Asia. He said that the ceasefire agreement, reached earlier this month between Israel and Hamas under US mediation, must hold. According to him, the US will respond “very severely” if the truce collapses, and any breach would lead to “big trouble” for Hamas. Trump said the militant group had “given their word,” and any failure to keep it would have serious consequences.
The international stabilization force forms part of Trump’s 20-point peace plan, described by him as a “long-term internal security solution” for Gaza. Under this plan, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would gradually transfer control of Gaza to a new governance and security structure in several phases, ultimately leading to a full withdrawal of Israeli troops. Trump stated that the force would include participation from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, Indonesia, and Jordan, who would together maintain security in the post-war Gaza Strip.Trump emphasized that Qatar had expressed readiness to cooperate with the deployment of the multinational peacekeeping force and was prepared to provide troops if necessary. He commended Qatar as a strong ally and an important actor in regional stability, describing Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani as one of the world’s “greatest rulers.” Qatar, however, has not issued an official statement confirming its participation in the peacekeeping operation.
Israel asserts control over foreign troop presence as Trump’s Gaza plan faces diplomatic friction
Despite the announcement, Trump’s Gaza plan has faced increasing ambiguity. Several groups operating within the Israeli-controlled zones of Gaza have expressed opposition to foreign forces, particularly from Qatar and Turkey. Hussam al-Astal, a militant leader from the Khan Younis area, accused Turkey of supporting Hamas and denounced both Turkey and Qatar as “war criminals.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing his cabinet on Sunday, said Israel would decide which foreign forces would be acceptable as part of the planned international force in Gaza. He clarified that Israel would remain in charge of its own security and would reject any participation it deemed unsuitable. Netanyahu said that this approach had been discussed with the US administration, which agreed that Israel would have final discretion over the composition of the force. According to Netanyahu, the US had accepted Israel’s right to determine which countries would be allowed to operate in Gaza. His remarks came amid concerns that the fragile truce could collapse as discussions continue on the future governance and security arrangements of the territory. Israel, which maintains full control over Gaza’s borders following a two-year anti-terror military campaign launched after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 terror attack in Israel.
Netanyahu’s statement followed earlier comments suggesting Israel would oppose any participation of Turkish security forces in Gaza. Relations between Turkey and Israel deteriorated sharply during the Gaza war after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Israel’s air and ground operations in the enclave. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during a visit to Israel on Friday, said the proposed international stabilization force would include countries acceptable to Israel. He declined to specify whether Turkey would be among them. Rubio also said the question of Gaza’s future governance remained open and would have to be resolved through discussions among Israel and partner nations. He stressed that Hamas would not be part of Gaza’s future administration. Rubio added that Washington was consulting with partners about a possible United Nations resolution or international agreement to authorize the creation of the multinational force. He said the issue would be further discussed in Qatar, which has acted as a key mediator in ceasefire and hostage negotiations.
Hamas refusal to disarm raises questions over Trump’s Gaza diplomacy
However, a major obstacle to Trump’s 20-point plan remains Hamas’s refusal to disarm, as demanded in the agreement. Since the ceasefire took effect two weeks ago, Hamas has been conducting internal crackdowns on rival factions and clans that challenge its control in Gaza, raising questions about its willingness to comply with the conditions of the truce.
Meanwhile, uncertainty persists over the humanitarian and security dimensions of the plan. Under the first phase of Trump’s roadmap, the IDF has pulled back to designated lines within Gaza while allowing limited humanitarian and technical operations in the areas vacated. As part of this, Israel has permitted an Egyptian technical team, assisted by the Red Cross, to search for the remains of 13 Israeli hostages believed to be buried under the rubble in Gaza. An Israeli government spokesperson said Hamas knows the locations of the deceased hostages and could retrieve the remains if it made sufficient effort. The search teams have begun work beyond the “yellow line,” the boundary marking the initial Israeli military withdrawal under Trump’s peace framework.
Netanyahu, addressing his cabinet session, reaffirmed Israel’s independence in decision-making and dismissed speculation that the United States dictated its security policies. He described the Israel–US relationship as a “partnership” and said coordination with Washington was ongoing, but ultimate authority rested with Israel. Diplomatic sources indicated that Trump had played a decisive role in persuading Netanyahu to accept the ceasefire deal, reversing his earlier resistance to international pressure. The agreement, signed earlier this month, was framed as the cornerstone of a broader Middle East peace plan aimed at ending cycles of violence between Israel and Hamas.
Reports suggest Trump personally intervened to mend strained ties between Israel and Qatar after an Israeli airstrike targeted Hamas terrorist leaders in Doha. The US president reportedly urged Netanyahu to apologise to Qatar’s Emir, helping restore communications essential for the hostage negotiations and the ceasefire’s implementation. Trump’s outreach also involved securing commitments from Arab states to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining Israeli hostages, a key step in advancing the truce. Hamas subsequently freed the 20 living hostages it had held since the October 2023 attacks, although the remains of 13 others are still unaccounted for.
Despite these developments, the broader structure of Trump’s Gaza peace plan remains opaque. The specifics of the international force, its mandate, chain of command, and legal authorization have not been finalised. Questions also remain over the governance structure that would follow Israel’s phased withdrawal and whether the Arab and Muslim-majority countries named by Trump would commit troops.
