Gaitty Ara Anis

US President Donald Trump&rsquo;s newly announced 20-point plan to end Israel&rsquo;s war in Gaza and release hostages held by Hamas has sparked mixed reactions across the Middle East. It was initially widely praised but was soon followed by criticism from key regional allies. Pakistan issued a joint statement with seven other Muslim countries during the announcement of the 20-point peace plan, praising President Trump&#39;s sincere efforts to end the war. Later, Pakistan, along with Qatar, noted that changes had been made to the originally-proposed draft. The changes are being called out as benefiting Israel rather than the Palestinians and requiring the inclusion of other points that were previously discussed with the US. &lsquo;Lack of Palestinian input&rsquo;Experts on the Middle East believe there are many obstacles to implementing the plan, from the supposed disagreement within the Hamas leadership to doubts about Israel&rsquo;s intentions to carry it out. Dr Jason Campbell, an expert on defense and regional security at The Middle East Institute, called it a sign of &ldquo;general frustrations&rdquo; that seem to center on a handful of factors stipulated in the plan. &ldquo;Lack of Palestinian input in the drafting has been a justifiable criticism,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Particularly given that it was Israel&#39;s unwarranted attack on Hamas negotiators in Doha that derailed previous collaborative discussions.&rdquo; This is a view shared by Areig Elhag, Arabic Content Editor at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. She says that the plan was shaped mainly around US and Israeli priorities. &ldquo;Without solid guarantees for Palestinian sovereignty, regional actors recognized that implementation depends on reforms within the Palestinian Authority and the disarmament of Hamas&rdquo; &mdash; conditions she believes seem highly unrealistic to materialize in the near term. &lsquo;Product of extensive consultation&rsquo;Trump described his plan as the product of &ldquo;extensive consultation with friends and partners throughout the region.&rdquo;&nbsp; Under the plan, hostilities would end immediately once both parties accepted. Israeli forces would withdraw to agreed positions, and all military operations would be frozen. Within 72 hours, all hostages would be returned, and Israel would release Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and those detained. Hamas members who agree to disarm and &ldquo;commit to peaceful co-existence&rdquo; would receive amnesty, while those wishing to leave Gaza would be granted safe passage to third countries. As proposed by President Trump in the draft, a &ldquo;Peace Board&rdquo; would take over control of the administration in Gaza, headed by President Trump himself; however, the rest of the composition remains unclear. A few names have been floated, said Dr Campbell, such as Tony Blair&rsquo;s.&nbsp; However, many consider the former British prime minister a controversial figure, often questioned for his allegedly misleading policies during the Iraq War. Blair&#39;s decision to lead the UK into the 2003 Iraq War remains one of the most controversial events of his career. Given that context, analysts believe this is also drawing criticism, particularly from Palestinians. Elhag notes that concerns in such a situation are justified. She explains that they stem from a lack of clear mechanisms for enforcing the plan, causing the 20 points to seem more like a &ldquo;political gesture than a practical roadmap.&rdquo; Accept now. Discuss details later?Dr Campbell considers it a concern that the peace draft does not specify conditions for fully removing Israeli forces from Gaza. Despite this flaw, he says, reports indicate that key mediators, including Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt, are &ldquo;recommending&rdquo; that Hamas negotiators accept the plan &ldquo;in principle&rdquo; and iron out the details during implementation. This approach aligns with the stance many Islamic countries are also adopting, as Pakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, pointed out the absence of several critical points from the peace plan but expressed hope that they will be included in the future.Is there any alternative to this plan? There have been numerous ceasefire deals that were tabled over the past two years of Israel&rsquo;s war against Palestine, but none of those have borne any fruit. &ldquo;The reality is that there are no other alternatives currently on the table, and the continuation of the war is in no one&#39;s interest.&rdquo; Regarding whether Hamas and Israel will follow the plan, Elhag said, &ldquo;It is difficult to imagine both sides fully committing. Hamas remains divided &mdash; some leaders are pragmatic, while others are hardline. This internal split weakens the chances of success.&rdquo; On the Israeli side, the government faces significant domestic political pressure. Prime Minister Netanyahu may publicly support the plan, but he must proceed cautiously to avoid alienating his coalition partners. Over the past two years, there remain strong doubts about the seriousness of this proposal. While Dr Jason Campbell also shares this skepticism, he said that predicting anything is impossible. However, based on recent history, he believes both sides will try to follow the plan in words, if not in practice. There is sufficient ambiguity in the points to allow each side to claim they are following the agreement, even if no real progress is being made.What does this plan mean for a common Gazan? Both Elhag and Dr Campbell agree that the world is exhausted from witnessing the widespread devastation and human suffering in Gaza, and the priority is to stop it immediately. &ldquo;The reported sentiment is one of ending the incessant attacks, even if the points presented are imperfect.&rdquo; Elhag believes that &ldquo;many Gazans are likely to see it less as a genuine peace agreement and more as a managed truce, one that temporarily improves daily life but postpones core political issues such as statehood and sovereignty.&rdquo; &ldquo;Without addressing the fundamentals,&rdquo; she fears, &ldquo;the plan risks becoming just another transitional arrangement rather than a lasting solution.&rdquo;While the plan gains momentum as more Western nations acknowledge Palestine&#39;s statehood, President Trump has made it clear that he &ldquo;will be the one deciding when Hamas has run out of time.&rdquo;

Middle East

The plan was initially widely praised but was soon followed by criticism from key regional allies.

Gaza peace plan faces Mideast skepticism

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: France recognized a Palestinian state at a world summit in New York on Monday, nearly two years into the war in Gaza, joining Western allies such as Britain and Canada, who made the same historic move on Sunday and were rebuked by Israel, according to Reuters. &quot;We must do everything within our power to preserve the very possibility of a two-state solution, Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security,&quot; the summit host, French President Emmanuel Macron, said at the beginning of a planned three-hour session at the United Nations.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-10" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-10&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1970237707336192210&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=b0934304d0dccc2dc5d31d4e755d5a42b993341a&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 777px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&quot;France recognizes the State of Palestine,&quot; he added to applause. &quot;We can no longer wait,&quot; he says, adding that recognition is a necessary step to break the spiral of violence and secure peace, CNN reported. Announcing France&#39;s recognition of a Palestinian state, Macron told the UN that &quot;nothing justifies the ongoing war&quot; in Gaza. But he stressed that giving Palestinians rights does not take away from the rights of the Israelis.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-11" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-11&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1970221879404188012&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=b0934304d0dccc2dc5d31d4e755d5a42b993341a&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 801px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>Change on the ground&nbsp;While the event, convened by France and Saudi Arabia, could boost the morale of Palestinians in their long search for statehood, it is not expected to deliver change on the ground, Reuters reported. The most far-right government in Israel&#39;s history has declared there will be no Palestinian state. Israel has become increasingly isolated and drawn global condemnation over its war on Gaza, where more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to local health authorities. In recent weeks, Israel has begun a long-threatened ground assault on Gaza City with few prospects for a ceasefire. Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg and San Marino were also expected to recognize a Palestinian state on Monday ahead of this week&#39;s UN General Assembly, after Australia, Britain, Canada and Portugal did so at the weekend. Malta made the announcement earlier on Monday. Israel has said such moves will undermine the prospects of a peaceful ending to the conflict in Gaza. Oslo AccordsThe two-state solution was the bedrock of the US-backed peace process ushered in by the 1993 Oslo Accords. The process suffered heavy pushback from both sides and has all but died. No such negotiations over a two-state solution have been held since 2014. The United States and Israel boycotted Monday&rsquo;s meeting. Israel&rsquo;s UN Ambassador Danny Danon said Israel would discuss what action to take in response to the announcements of recognition after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returns to Israel next week. &ldquo;Those issues were supposed to be negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians in the future,&rdquo; he told reporters ahead of the meeting. The United States has told other countries that Palestinian recognition will create more problems, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier this month. Israeli aggression&nbsp;Amid Israel&#39;s intensified Gaza offensive and escalating violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, there is a growing sense of urgency among some nations to act now before the idea of a two-state solution vanishes forever. France has driven the move, hoping that Macron&#39;s announcement in July that he would recognize a Palestinian state would give greater momentum to a movement hitherto dominated by smaller nations that are generally more critical of Israel. A delegation representing the State of Palestine has observer status at the United Nations - but no voting rights. US veto&nbsp;No matter how many countries recognize Palestinian independence, full UN membership would require approval by the Security Council, where the US has a veto. European divisions and Israeli responseWhile the majority of European countries now recognize a Palestinian state, two of the continent&#39;s largest economies, Germany and Italy, have signaled they are unlikely to make such a move soon. Germany, long a strong supporter of Israel because of its responsibility for the Holocaust, has grown more critical of Israeli policy, while insisting that recognition of a Palestinian state should come at the end of a political process to agree on a two-state solution. No further annexationsThe German government spokesperson also said on Monday that there must be no further annexations in Israeli-occupied territory. Italy said recognizing a Palestinian state could be &quot;counterproductive.&quot; On the ground, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected numerous calls to end the war until Hamas is destroyed and has said he will not recognize a Palestinian state. Netanyahu said in a statement on Sunday that he will announce Israel&#39;s response to Palestinian state recognition when he returns from the US, where he is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump. Israel is considering annexing part of the occupied West Bank as a possible response, as well as specific bilateral measures against Paris, Israeli officials have said, even though the recognitions are expected to be largely symbolic. The US has warned of possible consequences for those who take measures against Israel, including France as host of the summit, Reuters reported. 50 Palestinians killed At least 50 Palestinians were killed yesterday in Israeli strikes on Gaza and the war has overall killed more than 65,000 people in the enclave, according to the health ministry, CNN reported.&nbsp;

Europe

France joins Britain and Canada in recognizing a Palestinian state at the UN summit, aiming to support a two-state solution. Israel has opposed the move, warning it would harm peace prospects, while considering annexing parts of the West Bank.

Articles tagged with "gaza war"

Gaza peace plan faces Mideast skepticism

France joins other Western countries in recognizing Palestinian state