President Trump’s historic peace plan could reshape the Middle East – but we need to act fast

It’s no exaggeration to say that the Middle East is in a completely different place than it was this time last year – and that is thanks entirely to the indefatigability of the state of Israel, and President Donald Trump’s judicious application of American power. 

With the living hostages released, and an (albeit shaky) ceasefire in place, we have a window of opportunity to implement the rest of President Trump’s 20-point peace plan. It’s going to be difficult, and will require quick, decisive action and continued pressure on Hamas and its patrons in Iran to have any chance of success. 

Hamas did not agree to the first phase of this plan because they wanted peace: they did so because they were backed into a corner. Since the ceasefire went into effect, they’ve turned their fire on their own people to purge any political rivals and terrorize the population into accepting their continued rule. And Hamas leaders are hoping that the ceasefire and the difficulties involved in enforcing the peace plan will give them the space they need to regroup and live to fight another day. 

President Donald Trump poses with a signed agreement during a world leaders’ summit focused on ending the Gaza war in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, on Oct. 13. (Suzanne Plunkett/Getty Images)

That outcome is unacceptable. Israel will not, and cannot, return to the status quo that made Oct. 7 possible, and the United States would lose the international credibility and deterrence that President Trump has restored if we fail to see through this plan. 

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Our most pressing task is to disarm Hamas and prevent the group from having any role in governance. That doesn’t just mean making sure they don’t have access to weapons: it means destroying the labyrinthine tunnel system, and building a security apparatus that prevents any materials that could be used to wage war on Israel from entering Gaza. President Trump has and must remain committed to that condition to deliver a lasting peace.

Cooperating with our partners from the Arab and Muslim world to implement this part of the plan is particularly important. The U.S. will need to unite the coalition behind this objective, and must be prepared to apply pressure where necessary to keep things on track – especially in relation to erstwhile Hamas supporters Qatar and Turkey. 

In both the short and medium term, we must focus relentlessly on continuing to weaken the regime in Iran so that it cannot reconstitute its "Ring of Fire" around Israel, rebuild its nuclear weapons program or reassert itself as a regional power. Defanging Iran was the X Factor that enabled this peace plan to come together. Without Israel taking the fight to Iranian proxies across the region and to Iran itself – culminating in the decimation of Iran’s nuclear program by the U.S. and Israel – there can be little doubt that Hamas would be far stronger than it is today, and that those hostages would still be suffering in the tunnels. 

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Tehran is now the weakest it has been in years – but without sustained pressure, the regime will recover at least some of its strength, especially with the help of autocratic friends like China and Russia. We must resume the maximum pressure campaign of the first Trump administration and explore all available means to exert pressure on this decrepit regime so that it can no longer export terror and destabilize the region. 

We can also enhance the prospects of success by cultivating new opportunities for Muslim countries to normalize relations with Israel. In President Trump’s first term, I had the privilege of husbanding the groundbreaking agreements known as the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and multiple Arab nations, including the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco. 

By incentivizing Muslim nations to pursue peace and prosperity, we were able to show the futility of continuing to wage war against Israel, and the bright future that awaits any nation that seeks peace. This laid the groundwork for the coalition behind the Gaza peace plan, and I have every confidence that we’re in a strong position to further expand the accords.

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And finally, we must ensure that the United States continues its "No Daylight" policy toward Israel. The Gaza peace plan would not have been possible without the unprecedented close cooperation between the U.S. and Israel. By giving Israel the space it needed to win this war on its own terms and supporting them at critical junctures, President Trump turned the failed approach of the previous administration on its head, and finally created space for peace through this show of strength. That is ultimately how the Abraham Accords success can be expanded to other countries in the region. 

The United States and our coalition partners have an historic opportunity to reshape the entire region for the better, but time is of the essence. Keeping up the pressure on Hamas and its backers in Iran will determine whether this plan succeeds in the long term. It won’t be easy, but given the determination and leadership shown by the U.S. and Israeli governments, there is every reason to hope that it may just be achievable. 

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