Trump's Peace Plan

Voices from the Arab press: Reading the Jeddah statement

A weekly selection of opinions and analyses from the Arab media around the world.

SAUDI CROWN PRINCE Mohammed bin Salman (R) receives Bahrain’s King Sheikh Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa ahead of an exceptional meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council – the first in-person meeting of Gulf leaders since their states became a front in the Iran war two months ago – in Jeddah, April 28.
YOUNG PALESTINIAN workers break up concrete while working on rubble in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip.

Hamas is preventing Gazan contractors from crossing Yellow Line to rebuild Rafah - report

Palestinian members of al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement.

Hamas disarmament talks stuck between Israeli security and Gaza guarantees - exclusive

An illustration of oil barrels, pipelines, and drills, over the backdrop of US and Iranian flags.

Oil surges, stocks fall as US-Iran tensions threaten Strait of Hormuz shipping flows driving risk


Why does Donald Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza not mention Islamic Jihad? - analysis

Khalil Shikaki, director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, told The Media Line that his survey shows Islamic Jihad support at roughly 1%–2% in both Gaza and the West Bank

Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. January 30, 2025.

Israeli officials rebuke possibility of 'official UN force' monitoring Gaza ceasefire

The United Nations and countries set to be involved in the force have not yet decided what responsibilities the force may have, nor how those responsibilities will be carried out.

A vehicle of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is pictured amid ongoing efforts to assess damage and plan reconstruction in Gaza following the Israel-Hamas War, in Gaza City, October 16, 2025

Jordan's forces will not 'run around Gaza on patrol,' King Abdullah says on Trump's plan

King Abdullah warns against peace enforcement in Gaza under Trump’s plan, urging peacekeeping efforts instead. He also discusses Jordan's humanitarian role and the potential for lasting peace.

Jordan's King Abdullah II reacts as he arrives for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street, central London, on February 15, 2024.

High hopes, unresolved questions: Weak optimism over Israeli politics, Gaza ceasefire - opinion

Complications on the internal Israeli front and questions about the peace plan's implementation dampen optimism.

US SECRETARY of State Marco Rubio departs from Ben-Gurion Airport for Doha on Saturday. The writer asks: To what extent will Israel’s interests and concerns be taken into account?

A narrow set of choices for Gaza: What’s the future for Hamas? - opinion

Following the Gaza ceasefire and the completion of the hostage-prisoner exchange, Hamas faces a narrow set of strategic choices.

A DRONE VIEW shows destruction in Gaza City last week. In a poll conducted in May 2024, some 70% of Gazans approved of Hamas’s onslaught on October 7, 2023. One year later, that support had shrunk to 38%, the writer notes.

Trump headlines ASEAN summit, Thailand-Cambodia to sign ceasefire deal

US President Donald Trump arrived in Malaysia for the ASEAN Summit, where he will witness a ceasefire deal between Thailand and Cambodia and lead key trade talks with China and Brazil.

Timor-Leste's Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao attends the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia October 26, 2025.

Trump: Hamas must start returning hostage remains, 'watching very closely' for next 48 hours

"Hamas is going to have to start returning the bodies of the deceased hostages, including two Americans, quickly," US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday night.

US President Donald Trump speaks to the media aboard Air Force One ahead of his arrival in Malaysia, October 25, 2025.

US flies surveillance drones in Gaza airspace to monitor Israel-Hamas ceasefire compliance - NYT

The drone operation was carried out with Israel's consent and is being used to monitor ground activity in the area.

Smoke rises following an Israeli strike in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, October 20, 2025.

'Will kill again': Israeli terror survivor faces emotional battle as murderer released from prison

TERROR AFFAIRS: Tal Hartuv shares the complex emotions of surviving an attack while grappling with the release of terrorists. Her testimony highlights Israel’s moral dilemma in the hostage exchange.

Tal Hartuv surivor of stabbing attack in a forest near Jerusalem and the parents of Kristine Luken that was murdered in the attack on December 18 2010, attend Discussion of the suspects in stabbing at the District Court in Jerusalem. November 24, 2011.

Trump’s Middle East plan: Big dreams, grand vision - but lacking details for success

DIPLOMATIC AFFAIRS: Trump’s ambitious peace plan for the Middle East offers bold goals but lacks crucial details. Can the grand vision succeed without the specifics needed for real change?

DOES THE West underestimate how ideology shapes lives in the Middle East? Here, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, flanked by US Vice President JD Vance (left) and Jared Kushner, speaks during a press conference following a military briefing at the Civil-Military Coordination Center on Tuesday in Kirya