Former National Security Adviser John Bolton cautioned that President Donald Trump's highly publicized Middle East peace plan could unravel before it begins, hinging on what he called the vaguest and least achievable condition — Hamas laying down its arms and relinquishing power in Gaza.
Bolton Warns Trump’s Gaza Plan Is At Risk
In a post on X Sunday, Bolton wrote that "the next critical, but one of the vaguest parts of Trump's peace plan is the requirement that Hamas demilitarize, and have no role in Gaza's future governance."
He added that "whether Hamas demilitarizes will have palpable effects on what happens after the hostage/prisoner swaps are successfully concluded."
Trump's Gaza ‘Eternal Peace’ Plan Faces Setbacks As Hamas Rejects Oversight
Bolton's warning came shortly after The Australian Financial Review reported that while the return of Israeli hostages marks progress, the real test of Trump's so-called "eternal peace" plan begins next.
The plan envisions a "technocratic, apolitical" Palestinian committee temporarily governing Gaza under international oversight, with Trump himself chairing a proposed "Board of Peace."
Hamas has already rejected any foreign control or requirement to disarm.
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Trump's Peace Plan Marks Historic Breakthrough In Middle East Diplomacy
Last week, Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of a peace plan, including the release of all hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops.
He called it a major step toward lasting peace and thanked mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey.
Israel approved the ceasefire early Friday, beginning a phased troop withdrawal and planning the release of hundreds of Palestinian detainees.
Hamas confirmed the war had "ended permanently" and allowed aid into Gaza, with the Rafah crossing reopened.
Ivanka Trump praised her father, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff for their roles but said she would withhold full celebration until all hostages were returned.
On Sunday, President Trump also shared a comment from Lord Conrad Black on Truth Social, who called the agreement "the greatest diplomatic achievement in the Middle East since the founding of Israel" and hailed it as a historic step toward peace.
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