British Jewish community leaders express ‘cautious hope’ for Trump’s Gaza plan

The office of the Chief Rabbi declined to issue a statement until Hamas has formally responded to the agreement, but the leaders of Progressive Judaism have said they are approaching the proposed Gaza transitional governance plan “with cautious hope”, while the head of Masorti Judaism expressed hope it would offer “light” for Gazans and Israelis.

U.S. President Donald Trump greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he arrives at the White House, September 29, 2025 (Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)Getty Images

Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy, co-leads of Progressive Judaism, said in a joint statement: “Any initiative will be measured by whether it can genuinely reduce suffering and move Israelis and Palestinians closer to peace. Our tradition calls us to be rodfei shalom –pursuers of peace – and even in complex and uncertain times we hold fast to the belief that a better future remains possible.”

Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, the senior rabbi of Masorti Judaism, said “personally, if this ends the fighting, brings all the hostages home, disarms Hamas and offers some light and hope ahead for the people of Gaza and Israel then, please God, may it be for good.”

The chief executive of the Jewish Leadership Council, Claudia Mendoza, embraced Trump’s plan and predicted that it “could form the basis of lasting peace in the region”.

She said: “Two years on from October 7, this conflict continues to impact Jewish communities around the world. President Trump’s 20-point plan for peace, which ensures the end of the conflict, the release of all hostages and humanitarian aid into Gaza, could form the basis of lasting peace in the region.

Mendoza: “International pressure, including from the UK government, must be on Hamas to accept this deal, disarm and relinquish power in Gaza.”

The Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester Region said it “cautiously welcomed” the announcement and was “hopeful”. an agreement would be hammered out.

Its chief executive Marc Levy said: “Almost two years since the appalling Hamas terrorist attack that murdered 1,200 Israelis in cold blood, we are hopeful that a deal can see those still cruelly held hostage be returned to their families and a surge in humanitarian aid to alleviate suffering in Gaza.”

The 20-point hostage-ceasefire proposal to bring a negotiated end to the war – which was cut from 21 points after being initially presented to Arab leaders in New York last week – includes the Immediate cessation of all military operations, for the IDF to carry out a staged withdrawal of the territory, the destruction of terror infrastructure and demilitarisation of Hamas.

The terror group’s leadership will be given the opportunity for amnesty and safe passage out of Gaza if they renounce violence, and an ‘international stabilisation force’ will their place governing Gaza, overseen by a board that includes Trump and former UK prime minister Tony Blair.

The deal also includes the release of all hostages, dead and alive, within 72 hours of its signing, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, and the reconstruction of Gaza.

The proposal has so far received support from a clutch of Muslim-majority countries including Qatar, Jordan, the UAE, Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

In Israel, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said it was “celebrating this breakthrough” and that after two years of “unimaginable anguish, we stand at a historic turning point.”

The organisation praised Trump for accomplishing “what many said was impossible”, saying: “His determination never wavered, even when others lost hope. The time he personally invested in pursuing peace in the Middle East and resolving this conflict that has destabilised the entire region, along with the personal guarantee he has placed on this agreement, deserves our deepest appreciation.”

They called the proposal a “historic agreement that will allow our people to heal, end the war, and chart a new future for the Middle East” and commended Netanyahu for accepting the initiative. But the group also warned that hostage release deals in the past have been cut short by phased deals that never reach completion: “We must ensure that his time does not share the same fate,” they said.