Towards a durable peace in West Asia

Questions about the future of an independent Palestine, an idea now endorsed by many countries, and the agency of the Palestinian people, beg answers

Donald Trump believes his peace plan for Gaza could lead to “eternal peace” in West Asia. The hyperbole aside, his 20-point plan seems the only bet yet to end the two-year war in Gaza in which more than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed after over 1,200 Israelis were killed in a terror strike within Israel by Hamas, on October 7, 2023. That, perhaps, is why most of the Islamic world, including Fatah, which heads the Palestinian National Authority in the West Bank, as well as India and Pakistan, have backed the plan. Among the proposals are: release of Israeli hostages in Hamas’s custody, disarmament of Hamas, a phased withdrawal of Israeli Defence Forces, an international stabilisation force in Gaza, and a government of technocrats, reporting to a “Board of Peace” with leaders such as former UK PM Tony Blair, which in turn reports to Trump. The US president convinced Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to back the plan, but it is unclear if the latter’s hardline associates are on board. Qatar and Saudi Arabia are invested in the plan, but Hamas is yet to commit to it.

The prospects of reconstructing Gaza as an international city may be alluring, but its distinct character as a Palestinian homeland will need to be preserved. (AFP)

Questions about the future of an independent Palestine, an idea now endorsed by a large number of countries, including in Europe, and the agency of Palestinians in deciding their government, beg answers. The priority for much of the world now is to end the war; the afterlife of a ceasefire can be decided later. It may help if the US, the prime mover behind the plan, adopts a language of persuasion rather than threat while negotiating with Hamas. The prospects of reconstructing Gaza as an international city may be alluring, but its distinct character as a Palestinian homeland will need to be preserved. “Eternal peace” in West Asia rests on restoring agency and nationhood to the Palestinians and readiness in the Arab world to coexist peacefully with the Jewish nation. As it stands, the Netanyahu administration’s aggression has led to Israel’s isolation, and Hamas’s politics of terror has wreaked havoc on Palestinian civilians. This is a stand-off that holds no future for the Israelis or Palestinians.