The ongoing war against the Palestinians is not unknown to the globe, as well as the mediation efforts. The mending approach by global powers has been biased towards Israel. Historically, Palestinians were rarely part of negotiations directly; if included, they were submissive. Since October 7, Israel has been involved in war crimes, genocide, ethnic cleansing, and famine. Several countries and World organizations – notably the United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, International Court of Justice – have stated that Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza. According to CNN World, “Israel’s War crimes resulted in the killing of 10 percent of Gazans (mainly women and Children) and destroyed 90 percent of Gaza’s infrastructure.” The global powers paid no heed to Israel’s atrocities, but recently few voices rose in support of Palestinians by recognizing Palestinian statehood. Now, 157 countries out of 193 recognize Palestine. However, recently, Trump announced his peace plan jointly with Israel’s Prime Minister-Benjamin Netanyahu, taking into consideration Islamic leaders in a sideline meeting during the United Nations’ 80th General Assembly session in New York.
Following the January ceasefire deal, the world is witnessing another peace plan being unfolded by President Trump. The twenty-point deal involves demilitarization of Gaza, hostage release, resuming humanitarian aid, Israel’s withdrawal, reforms in the West Bank (deradicalization), and efforts for peaceful coexistence. There are also eye-catching points in the deal. The formation of the ‘Board of Peace’ as a temporary transitional governance framework of technocrats. It will comprise non-political Palestinians and international officials led by President Trump and former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair. The economic plan for Gaza to rebuild Gaza and create jobs by establishing an economic zone in Gaza also caught the attention. It also inculcates the establishment of the International Stabilization Force (ISF), comprised of Muslim and neutral states, to maintain peace and train the Police force for long-term security purposes in Gaza. Surprisingly, it is also mentioned that people will not be forced to leave Gaza, a U-turn of Trump from the previous plan; rather, they will be encouraged to contribute to Gaza’s development, and those who left may come back to their country. It is also stated that during the reconstruction of Gaza, reforms by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, and fulfillment of certain conditions, the process for Palestinians’ self-determination will begin.
The offered deal seems modest and is considered an effort to put an end to the two-year-long atrocities in Gaza. It received validity from different quarters. The joint declaration of Islamic countries (Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, UAE, Turkey, Qatar, Indonesia, and Pakistan) welcomed Trump’s plan. Countries from Europe also consider this peace effort as an opportunity to halt the war. While there are also some opposition to this deal by Hamas, far-right Israelis, and most importantly, the people of Palestine. Palestinian suspicions of the deal are of utmost importance because they are the main victims of the brutality. Palestinians have shown concerns about the feasibility and full implementation of this deal. They believe it will lead to more destruction and atrocities, and the USA and Israel have always backed out of their words. They believe that Israel is a Zionist state, having ambitions of cleansing the region of Palestinians. Therefore, this deal brings zero hope for the people of Gaza, which reduces its importance and effectiveness.
Trump’s peace deal surrenders Palestine, gives impunity to Israel, and disarms Hamas. The so-called decorous deal has many pitfalls, as it is completely biased to appease the Zionist regime in Israel. After taking the consent of Muslim leaders, Israel altered the deal, and Mr. Trump let that happen to ratify it by Netanyahu. In the finalization of the deal, Palestinians were not taken on board, despite being the main stakeholders and prey to Israel’s barbarity. It also lacks a clear roadmap to the two-state solution with Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital. Moreover, the Board of Peace reflects the Mandate system of the League of Nations – showing the continuation of the colonial legacy. The economic plan for Gaza reflects Trump’s long-touted ‘Gaza Riviera’ dream-that violates the ownership rights of Gazans in the name of redevelopment. And the clauses of demilitarization and deradicalization are specific to Palestine, disregarding Israel’s actions. Additionally, the regional countries are made guarantors for Hamas’ compliance-the group already objects to the terms of disarmament, as it means surrender to Israel – while no guarantee for Israel-despite violating the peace deal multiple times. So, the absence of accountability and bias towards Israel diminishes the significance of this deal.
To gain popular consent, the peace deal needs to give equal say to Palestine in the articulation of its terms and conditions. It should not favor one at the cost of the other. After all, it is justice that brings stability and tranquility. A sane deal also needs to make each aggressor accountable for their conduct, whether it be Hamas or Israel. Accountability is a must to restrain the aggression of powerful states and to set a precedent for future generations. Global North – champions of Human Rights – should shun lip service and take practical steps to halt financial and military support to Israel. It will be onus on Israel to carry on the ongoing atrocities without their support. If the Human Rights stalwarts fail to do so, powerful countries will besiege weaker countries, and offer a deal on their own terms – if they fail to comply, then the weak will be responsible for the aftermath. As Niccolo Machiavelli said, “Power is the pivot on which everything hinges. He who has the power is always right; the weaker is always wrong.”
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