ਹਮਾਸ-ਇਜ਼ਰਾਈਲ ਯੁੱਧ, 2023: ਇੱਕ ਵਿਸ਼ਲੇਸ਼ਣ

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

Trump's 20 Point proposal t end Hamas Israel war​

• Gaza will be a deradicalised terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbours.
• Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough.
• If both sides agree to this proposal, the war will immediately end. Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed-upon line to prepare for a hostage release. During this time, all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment, will be suspended, and battle lines will remain frozen until conditions are met for the complete staged withdrawal.
• Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.
• Once all hostages are released, Israel will release 250 life-sentence prisoners, plus 1,700 Gazans who were detained after October 7th 2023, including all women and children detained in that context. For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans.
• Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries.
• Upon acceptance of this agreement, full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip. At a minimum, aid quantities will be consistent with what was included in the January 19, 2025, agreement regarding humanitarian aid, including rehabilitation of infrastructure (water, electricity, sewage), rehabilitation of hospitals and bakeries, and entry of necessary equipment to remove rubble and open roads.

Gaza’s displaced long for respite and return as hopes for ceasefire rise​

• Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in addition to other international institutions not associated in any manner with either party. Opening the Rafah crossing in both directions will be subject to the same mechanism implemented under the January 19, 2025, agreement.
• Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the “Board of Peace,” which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J Trump, with other members and heads of State to be announced, including Former Prime Minister Tony Blair. This body will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump’s peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French proposal, and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza. This body will call on best international standards to create modern and efficient governance that serves the people of Gaza and is conducive to attracting investment.
• A Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energise Gaza will be created by convening a panel of experts who have helped birth some of the thriving modern miracle cities in the Middle East. Many thoughtful investment proposals and exciting development ideas have been crafted by well-meaning international groups, and will be considered to synthesise the security and governance frameworks to attract and facilitate these investments that will create jobs, opportunity, and hope for future Gaza.
• A special economic zone will be established, with preferred tariff and access rates to be negotiated with participating countries.
• No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return. We will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.
• Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form. All military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt. There will be a process of demilitarisation of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use through an agreed process of decommissioning, and supported by an internationally funded buy-back and reintegration program all verified by the independent monitors. New Gaza will be fully committed to building a prosperous economy and to peaceful coexistence with their neighbours.
• A guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas, and the factions, comply with their obligations and that New Gaza poses no threat to its neighbours or its people.

• The United States will work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) to immediately deploy in Gaza. The ISF will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza, and will consult with Jordan and Egypt who have extensive experience in this field. This force will be the long-term internal security solution. The ISF will work with Israel and Egypt to help secure border areas, along with newly trained Palestinian police forces. It is critical to prevent munitions from entering Gaza and to facilitate the rapid and secure flow of goods to rebuild and revitalise Gaza. A deconfliction mechanism will be agreed upon by the parties.
• Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza. As the ISF establishes control and stability, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) will withdraw based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarisation that will be agreed upon between the IDF, ISF, the guarantors, and the United States, with the objective of a secure Gaza that no longer poses a threat to Israel, Egypt, or its citizens. Practically, the IDF will progressively hand over the Gaza territory it occupies to the ISF, according to an agreement they will make with the transitional authority, until they are withdrawn completely from Gaza, save for a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat.
• In the event Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, the above, including the scaled-up aid operation, will proceed in the terror-free areas handed over from the IDF to the ISF.
• An interfaith dialogue process will be established based on the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence to try and change mindsets and narratives of Palestinians and Israelis by emphasising the benefits that can be derived from peace.
• While Gaza re-development advances and when the PA reform program is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognise as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.
• The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence.

Gaza in turmoil on Trump's threats​

People in Gaza have reacted with shock after US President Donald Trump appeared to welcome Hamas's response to his peace plan for the territory.
The pace of developments overnight has left many struggling to grasp what comes next. The movement's carefully crafted statement - thought to have been drafted with the help of mediators - stopped short of outright rejection and instead offered a qualified "yes".
Hamas accepted Trump's terms for the release of Israeli hostages and the idea of handing over the governance of Gaza to Palestinian technocrats - but did not give a clear response to many other elemnets of his 20 point proposal . It was, many Palestinians say, a calculated reply that put the ball back in Israel's court. Soon after it was published, Trump wrote on social media that he believed Hamas was ready for peace and called on Israel to stop the bombing of Gaza.
Reactions among Palestinians in the territory ranged from hope to deep suspicion.
Some fear Hamas has walked into a trap, and that Israel will reclaim its hostages only to resume the war. Others believe a historic opportunity has opened to end two years of conflict.
"I advise patience," Ibrahim Fares told the BBC.
"Don't get carried away by optimism. There will be rounds of talks over the details. The devil is always in the detail," he said. "Look at Lebanon, where even now there are still displaced people and airstrikes."
Mahmoud Daher noted on Facebook that Hamas's response was unusual for its directness.
"This time it was yes without the usual 'but' immediately after," he wrote.
"Yes to prisoner release under Trump's formula, yes to ending the war and withdrawal, yes to handing power to a Palestinian authority. The buts came only later. Hamas even played to Trump's ego with praise."
But not everyone is convinced.
Gaza-based activist and long-time Hamas critic Khalil Abu Shammala said the decision was about the movement's survival.
"They will call this wisdom - or putting the people first. But the truth is, it's about Hamas staying in power. I even doubt Hamas wrote the statement - it was too clever."
For now, Palestinians remain uncertain as they wait to see whether the words on paper can truly be enough to end the war.

 

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

• Delegations from Hamas and Israel, together with mediators, converge in Egypt for talks, with US President Donald Trump calling on negotiators to “move fast” to end the nearly two-year war on the Gaza Strip.
• Hamas says its delegation is headed by Khalil al-Hayya, the head of the group’s negotiating team who was targeted in an assassination attempt by Israel in Qatar last month.
• Israeli attacks on Gaza have continued unabated, with at least 10 Palestinians, including aid seekers, killed since dawn.
• Israel war on Gaza has killed at least 67,160 people and wounded 169,679 since October 2023. Thousands more are believed to be buried under the rubble. A total of 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7, 2023, attacks and about 200 were taken captive.
• Israeli attacks have continued across Gaza, killing dozens of Palestinians, in spite of US President Donald Trump’s direct call for Israel to immediately halt its bombing. Hamas said it accepted many elements of the 20-point plan to end the war.

 

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

World leaders have welcomed the news that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a Gaza peace plan.
The deal paves the way for the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the entry of aid into Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the agreement "a great day for Israel".
"I thank from the bottom of my heart President Trump and his team for their dedication to this sacred mission of freeing our hostages," he said.
"With God's help, together we will continue to achieve all our goals and expand peace with our neighbours."
Hamas said the negotiations were "responsible and serious" and called on Trump, the guarantor states of the agreement, and all Arab, Islamic, and international parties to "compel the occupation government to fully implement its obligations under the agreement and to prevent it from evading or delaying the implementation of what has been agreed upon".
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who leads Hamas's rival Fatah movement, also welcomed Trump's announcement.
He "expressed hope that these efforts would be a prelude to reaching a permanent political solution... leading to an end to the Israeli occupation of the State of Palestine and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state".

In a Truth Social post announcing the agreement, US President Donald Trump said it was a "GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America".

He added: "We thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen."
For his part, Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said "the world is witnessing a historic moment".
"This agreement does not only close the chapter of war - it also opens the door of hope for the peoples of the region for a future defined by justice and stability," he said.
The other key mediator, Qatar, said in a statement that the agreement "offers hope for lasting calm in Gaza and highlights the power of joint mediation grounded in reason, not escalation".
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan praised Trump for demonstrating "the necessary political will to encourage the Israeli government toward the ceasefire".
He added that Turkey would "closely monitor the strict implementation of the agreement and continue to contribute to the process".
UN Secretary General António Guterres described the agreement as a "momentous opportunity", adding that the UN will support the "full implementation" of the deal, increase its delivery of humanitarian aid and advance its reconstruction efforts in Gaza.
Guterres urged all parties to obey the terms of the deal, including releasing Israeli hostages, abiding by a permanent ceasefire, and immediately allowing humanitarian supplies into Gaza.
"The suffering must end," he said.

Watch: Israelis celebrate deal to return hostages

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the deal was a moment of "profound relief that will be felt around the world". He called on all sides "to meet the commitments they have made, to end the war, and to build the foundations for a just and lasting end to the conflict".
French President Emmanuel Macron, who has led international efforts to recognise an independent Palestinian state, said the agreement "must mark the end of the war and the beginning of a political solution based on the two-state solution".
Looking to the future, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, said: "For the first time in a long while, there is a real prospect of peace in the region."
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has been vocal critic of Israel's war in Gaza, welcomed the deal.
But he stressed that "it is now time to engage in dialogue, to assist the civilian population, and to look to the future with hope, but also with justice and with remembrance so that the atrocities experienced are never repeated".
Ireland, which has also been as critical of Israeli policies, said the deal, "if grasped by all, can finally end the unconscionable human suffering".
"It can stop the dreadful bombing, silence the guns, end the famine and genocide, and allow a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza," Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris said.
China, one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, said it "hopes to see the achievement of a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza at the earliest opportunity, to effectively alleviate the humanitarian crisis, and ease regional tensions".
China, its foreign ministry spokesman said, "advocates upholding the principle of 'Palestinians governing Palestine' and advancing the implementation of the two-state solution".
President Vladimir Putin said Russia was willing to support efforts to end the bloodshed in Gaza and hoped "that these initiatives of the US president will actually be realised in practice".
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: "After more than two years of conflict, hostages held and a devastating loss of civilian life, this is a much needed step towards peace," and "We urge all parties to respect the terms of the plan."
Regional powers were also quick to add their voice of support for the deal.
Jordan's King Abdullah hailed it as a "key step" to ending the war and promised to support Palestinians in their quest for "statehood in their own soil" - a sentiment echoed by the United Arab Emirates which also said it hoped the agreement would pave the way for a "settlement that guarantees the rights of the Palestinian people and restores security and stability to the region".
Saudi Arabia hoped the deal would "lead to urgent action to alleviate the humanitarian suffering".
Iran, which was attacked by Israel in June, emphasised that it was "the responsibility of the international community to prevent the occupying regime's violations of its obligations".
Tom Fletcher, UN under-secretary general of humanitarian affairs, wrote on X: "Great news. Let's get the hostages out and surge aid in - fast."
The World Health Organization (WHO) stood "ready to scale up its work to meet the dire health needs" in Gaza, its director-general said.
The WHO will also "support rehabilitation of the destroyed health system" in the region, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, adding: "The best medicine is peace."
James Elder, spokesperson for Unicef, the UN children's organisation, in Gaza, said he saw "for the first time in a long time... an immense amount of relief right now" - but also "emaciated children".
There is a lot to be done, Elder said, and today "is a very, very important beginning".

 

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

• The Israeli government has approved “phase one” of a ceasefire agreement, while details of how it fits into a wider plan to bring lasting peace remain murky. The initial phase is set to see captives exchanged and Israel withdraw from parts of Gaza.
• Khalil al-Hayya, the head of Hamas’s negotiating team, has said the group has received guarantees from the US and mediators that an agreement on the first phase of a ceasefire means the war in Gaza “has ended completely”.
• US President Donald Trump has not elaborated on those guarantees, but said he has “ended the war”. He is set to travel to the Middle East for an “official signing” of the ceasefire agreement on Sunday.
• Israeli attacks continued in Gaza, with at least 29 Palestinians killed on Thursday, according to the Wafa news agency. A spokesman for the Gaza City municipality says “the reality on the ground has not changed”.
• Israel's War on Gaza has killed at least 67,194 people and wounded 169,890 since October 2023. Thousands more are believed to be buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings. A total of 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7, 2023, attacks and about 200 were taken captive.

 

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

Modi hails Trump's Gaza peace plan efforts amid strained ties​

Source: PTI
Last updated on: October 10, 2025 02:54 IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday congratulated US President Donald Trump on the "success" of the first phase of a US-brokered peace plan for Gaza as he hailed the American leader for his efforts to end hostilities.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump shake hands after their meeting at the White House, in Washington, DC. Photograph: Press Information Bureau
Modi said this during a phone conversation with Trump amid continuing strain in ties between India and the US over Washington slapping a whopping 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods including 25 per cent levies for India's purchase of Russian crude oil.
In a post on X, Modi said he and Trump also reviewed the "good progress" achieved in the trade negotiations.
"Spoke to my friend, President Trump and congratulated him on the success of the historic Gaza peace plan," Modi said on social media.
"Also reviewed the good progress achieved in trade negotiations. Agreed to stay in close touch over the coming weeks," he said.


It was the second phone call between Modi and Trump in the last over three weeks.
US President Donald Trump had called up Modi on September 16 and greeted him ahead of his 75th birthday.
Modi also held a phone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and congratulated him on the progress made under the Gaza peace plan.
"Called my friend, Prime Minister Netanyahu, to congratulate him on the progress made under President Trump's Gaza peace plan," Modi said.
"We welcome the agreement on the release of hostages and enhanced humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza. Reaffirmed that terrorism in any form or manifestation is unacceptable anywhere in the world," he said on X.
Earlier in the day, Modi lauded the efforts of Trump and Netanyahu to end the hostilities in Gaza.
"We welcome the agreement on the first phase of President Trump's peace plan. This is also a reflection of the strong leadership of PM Netanyahu," Modi said.
"We hope the release of hostages and enhanced humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza will bring respite to them and pave the way for lasting peace," he said.
The US announced that Israel and Hamas agreed on the first phase of the Gaza peace plan that includes a ceasefire in the Strip and the release of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners.
Under the Gaza peace plan, the hostilities in the Strip will be ended with the release of all the hostages held by Hamas and the demilitarisation of the Strip.
Israel launched the war in Gaza after Hamas attacked Israeli cities on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people. Hamas also took 251 people as hostages, and over 50 of them are still in its captivity.
Israeli military operations have killed over 66,000 Palestinians since then, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.
Gaza has been reeling under a massive humanitarian crisis largely due to the scarcity of food and medicines.
The World Health Organization said last month that Gaza's malnutrition rates have reached "alarming levels".
The situation in Gaza also figured in Modi's talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Mumbai on Thursday.
"On the issues of the Ukraine conflict and Gaza, India supports all efforts to restore peace through dialogue and diplomacy," Modi said in his media statement.
Under the plan, Gaza will be a "deradicalised terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbours" and it will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of the Strip.
PM Starmer said the forward movement on the peace plan will bring profound relief, especially for families of hostages taken by Hamas and the civilian population of Gaza.

 

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

With extreme hatred between Yahudi and Muslim communities in Palestine, they have shed all human concerns, which does not bode well for the future of the new regimes. This forced peace under extreme pressure by a power may not stand for long, as none of the community is internally satisfied and has strong ill will, which shall require another spark to make the situation volatile. One-sided agreements are no surety for long standing.

 

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

Hamas releases all Israeli hostages; Trump to address Israel parliament. The ceasefire and exchange followed two years of war that expanded into a regional conflict, involving countries such as Iran, Yemen, and Lebanon.​

Gaza ceasefire: Hamas releases first batch of Israeli hostages
The exchange of hostages and prisoners took place Monday as the first step in a ceasefire agreement intended to halt the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Hamas released all the surviving Israeli hostages, who were transferred to the International Committee of the Red Cross by Hamas's armed wing.
Hamas have started releasing the surviving Israeli hostages to the Red Cross in Gaza as part of the peace deal, in what US President Donald Trump called a “very special” step toward ending the two-year war. In return, Israel will release around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. The exchange, part of Trump’s peace initiative, comes as Israel commemorates two years since Hamas’s deadly October 7, 2023 assault that left over a thousand dead and hundreds abducted.
Trump, who is visiting Israel for four hours, is scheduled to meet families of hostages, address the Knesset, and hold talks with Netanyahu. “The war is over. Okay? You understand that?” he said aboard Air Force One before landing.

After his visit, Trump will travel to Egypt to co-chair a peace summit with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and over 20 world leaders. The talks, held as part of Trump’s 20-point peace plan, aim to establish a new governing body for Gaza under a U.S.-led multinational force and oversee a gradual Israeli withdrawal.

Despite cautious optimism, humanitarian conditions in Gaza remain dire, and Hamas’s refusal to disarm continues to cast uncertainty over the fragile truce.​

Here’s how two years of war unfolded—through ten defining moments that took the region from shock and devastation to an uncertain hope for peace.

 

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

Shin Bet's Nili unit has been leading the efforts to track down and eliminate the Hamas militants who took part in the October 7 attack
Reuters

The Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet revealed that Hamas militants who kidnapped former hostages Noa Argamani, Avinatan Or, and Eitan Mor from the
Avinatan Or and Eitan Mor were released by Hamas as part of a hostage exchange deal two weeks ago. Or's girlfriend Noa Argamani was rescued during a special operation in June 2024.
IDF and Shin Bet said the militants were killed between March and August this year. These included Ahmad Ibrahim Rajab Shaar who was responsbile for abducting Argamani and Or on October 7. Shaar was killed on August 22.Ahmad Abu Marhil, who is responsible for the abduction of Or, was killed on March 26. Arafat Dib, who abducted Mor and held him in Hamas captivity in Gaza, was killed on May 30.

Shin Bet's Nili unit has been leading the efforts to track down and eliminate the Hamas militants who took part in the October 7 attack. The unit, was set up following the onslaught, has experienced intelligence personnel from IDF and Shin Bet. Even now, the unit is investigating the whereabouts of the attackers who fled back to Gaza in order to eliminate them.

Trump warns Israel that annexation threatens US support​

President Trump has warned Israel it could lose all U.S. support if it moves forward on efforts to annex territory in the West Bank, as the Israeli government advances legislation aiming to formalize its sovereignty over settlements in the region.
Trump, in an interview with Time magazine conducted Oct. 15 and published Thursday, said he could cut off U.S. assistance to Israel if it moves forward with annexation.

“Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened,” he said.
“It won’t happen. It won’t happen. It won’t happen because I gave my word to the Arab countries. And you can’t do that now,” the president continued. “We’ve had great Arab support. It won’t happen because I gave my word to the Arab countries. It will not happen.”
Echoing Trump’s warning, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said before he traveled to Israel that annexation would threaten the U.S.-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that was put in place earlier this month.
“I think the president’s made clear that’s not something we’d be supportive of right now, and we think it’s potentially threatening to the peace deal,” Rubio told reporters Wednesday.
The secretary, who also serves as Trump’s national security adviser, arrived in Israel on Thursday to visit the U.S. command center overseeing the ceasefire.
Rubio noted the U.S. believes moving the bill through the Knesset would be “counterproductive.”
“So, they’re a democracy, they’re going to have their votes, people are going to take these positions, but at this time it’s something that especially we don’t — we think it might be counterproductive,” he said.
The warnings followed Vice President Vance issuing the same line in Israel.
Vance said that if the Knesset’s vote was a “political stunt, then it is a very stupid political stunt,” The Associated Press reported.
“I personally take some insult to it,” Vance said. “The policy of the Trump administration is that the West Bank will not be annexed by Israel.”

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