Tuesday 22 Sep 2026 @ 13:10
Chatham House
Printable version

Can Gulf Arab countries help break the deadlock over Trump’s Gaza peace plan?

EXPERT COMMENT

Gulf Arab states increasingly view Israel as the main obstacle to progress on the peace plan – and may hope for an opening after Israel’s October elections.

Almost a year after US President Donald Trump unveiled his 20-point peace plan for Gaza, which was adopted by both Israel and Hamas and paved the way for the release of all Israeli hostages, the peace process appears to have hit a wall.

The two sides remain fundamentally divided over the sequencing of demilitarization and Israeli withdrawal. So far, Hamas has refused to give up its heavy weapons unless Israel halts all military operations and withdraws its forces from the parts of Gaza it currently controls – approximately 60 per cent of the strip – while Israel says it will not withdraw until Hamas disarms. 

Although President Trump continues to argue that the situation in Gaza is under control, his envoy Jared Kushner, who recently visited Israel, and the director-general of his Board of Peace, Nikolay Mladenov, have so far been unable to launch the second phase of the process. 

Click here to continue reading the full version of this Expert Comment on the Chatham House website.

 

Channel website: https://www.chathamhouse.org/

Original article link: https://www.chathamhouse.org/2026/09/can-gulf-arab-countries-help-break-deadlock-over-trumps-gaza-peace-plan

Share this article
RESEARCH EXPERTS EVENTS MEMBERSHIP ACADEMY ABOUT

 

Latest News from
Chatham House

Why the US midterms are a rare foreign policy election

16/10/2026 15:25:00

US voters are linking economic concerns to the Trump administration’s foreign policy choices. This is bad news for Republicans.

After Trump’s Russian diesel deal, will Europe give Ukraine the support it needs?

16/10/2026 11:20:00

The new row between Washington and Kyiv must not distract Europe’s leaders from the urgent matter at hand: how to sustain Ukraine’s economy through the winter.

The Yemen war is not just Saudi Arabia’s problem. It’s the Gulf’s too

15/10/2026 12:20:00

The renewed conflict in Yemen exposes the limits of Saudi Arabia’s military options and the vulnerabilities of the Gulf states. A unified Gulf Cooperation Council strategy on Yemen and a credible political settlement between Yemenis are needed.

Water has emerged as a key issue for Arizona voters ahead of US midterms – governments should take note

13/10/2026 12:20:00

The case of Arizona shows that governments must stop treating water as merely an environmental issue.

Brazil’s Amazon rainforest is at risk if Bolsonaro wins – but its low-carbon economy is here to stay

09/10/2026 09:25:00

If Flávio Bolsonaro wins Brazil’s presidential run-off, he will likely roll back Lula’s deforestation regulations. But the country’s low-carbon transition will be harder to reverse.

After the RAF Fairford incident, the UK should develop its homeland defence forces

08/10/2026 16:20:00

The threat of hybrid attacks from Iran and Russia means the UK should develop a force dedicated to protecting its bases and infrastructure at home. Finland and Poland offer lessons.

Russia’s Kaliningrad threats show the value of Baltic preparedness

08/10/2026 12:20:00

Moscow’s nuclear rhetoric should be taken seriously. But Baltic states know grey zone attacks and territorial incursions are equally serious threats.

Nepal’s floods put the global loss and damage system to the test

07/10/2026 10:10:10

Nepal’s recovery from August’s catastrophic glacial flood will test the efficiency of the UN’s Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage. It will also resurface questions about the responsibilities of the greatest carbon emitters.

Sánchez’s gamble: This ‘all-in’ election will have international impact

06/10/2026 13:10:00

Announcing the election, Sánchez set himself in opposition to President Trump and Javier Milei as well as Spain’s populist right. Much will depend on the prime minister’s ability to rally a fragmented left.

Executive AI Leadership Programme for the UK Public Sector