Can US Peace Plan for Gaza Work?

After Gaza peace talks with Israeli, President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed it as a major development. However, President Trump, while repeatedly praising himself for what he regards as a major breakthrough, sounded much more optimistic than PM Netanyahu who remained reluctant to recognize Palestine as a nation. To the impartial observer, their positions seemed to differ regarding the intended outcome.

PM Netanyahu remained as defiant as ever about withdrawing the Israeli military from Gaza and there was no mention of Israeli illegal settlements in West Bank part of Palestine. There is massive increase in armed violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. The UN recorded 1,800 attacks on Palestinian communities since 1 January 2024. The language used by Netanyahu at the press conference and the pre-conditions he has set, are unlikely to be acceptable to Hamas and many Arab states.

The 20-point plan proposes release of all hostages by Hamas, surrender by Hamas, end to Israeli military operations and the immediate delivery of aid to Gaza. The plan includes a board of peace led by Trump to implement the plan. Both, Netanyahu and Hamas could have difficulty selling this plan to extremists on their sides.

One positive sign is that the plan is a shift by the Trump administration which has moved closer to the position of the Arab and European countries. The wording is intentionally vague, for example, about Palestinian self-rule, to sell it to Arab nations and Israel. That is a calculated risk regarding its final success because, as yet, Israel is not accepting self-rule for Palestine. That means that while this plan is a basis for negotiations, they are likely to be prolonged. That will not be good news for the people of Gaza facing much suffering.

To remind ourselves of the background: On 7 October, 2023, Hamas terrorists crossed Ghaza-Irael border and killed about 1,200 Israelis and took more than 250 hostages. This provoked the Israeli military invasion of Gaza in which thousands of Gaza people have been killed in the full glare of global media. The suffering of children and women is unbearable to watch on our TV screens. Israel has been mercilessly bombing Gaza for nearly two years.

More recently, Israel forces launched a new offensive and are now in the process of demolishing Gaza City. Only a few days ago Netanyahu saw no end to the war when he addressed the UNGA when many delegates walked out. Israel has never been more isolated in the world than at present. Regrettably, there are global consequences of which the Jewish community is well aware. Like the rest of the world, despite the horrendous Hamas terrorism of October 7, many Jews are against the present genocide going on in Gaza in full glare of the world media. Netanyahu has dismissed the UN commission findings that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. Most observers agree that there is a widening gap between Israel and the international community. As Yair Golan, Israel Democrats Leader, mentioned, Israel is fast becoming a pariah state.

Israeli military action against Hamas has become wholly disproportionate to the original act of terrorism by Hamas and the ongoing blackmail of holding Israeli hostages. Most recently, UK, France and Canada have condemned the aid blockade by Israel.

The issue before the civilised world is whether the root causes of the Irael-Palestine conflict are being addressed to work out lasting peace solutions. The US peace plan gives some hope.

Gurmukh Singh OBE

E-mail: sewauk2005@yahoo.co.uk

https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Gurmukh_Singh_OBE