The Guardian: Two Issues Threatening to Undermine Trump’s Peace Plan for Gaza

SadaNews - Some provisions of U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza have begun to take effect, such as prisoner exchanges, the flow of aid, and a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces. However, this initial breakthrough conceals fundamental problems that could completely undermine the plan, according to The Guardian.

The newspaper explained in an article by Professor of International Relations Rajan Menon that the first dilemma concerns the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza. Despite the commencement of the first phase, Israel still holds more than half of the sector, including the Philadelphi crossing on the border with Egypt, from which the Hamas resistance movement demands a complete Israeli withdrawal.

Although the 20-point plan specified gradual percentages for Israeli withdrawal, it failed to define a clear timeline or a mechanism for monitoring implementation, which opens the door to potential Israeli obstruction, according to the British newspaper.

The Guardian noted that Hamas, which accepted concessions under pressure despite its prior rejection of any Israeli presence in the Gaza Strip, understands that Washington did not impose any pressures when Israel ignored previous agreements and continued its military operations despite Trump’s calls for calm, undermining its confidence in the U.S. commitment as a guarantor.

The second and perhaps more dangerous dilemma, according to the newspaper, is the issue of disarming Hamas. The plan, while demanding that the movement surrender its weapons and destroy its tunnels and weapon manufacturing facilities, is entirely devoid of any mechanisms for oversight and verification of implementation, a void that provides Israel with a pretext to delay its withdrawal on the grounds of Hamas's non-compliance, meaning that the chances of escalation remain high.

Compounding the seriousness of this situation, according to the newspaper, are recent Israeli statements that are not reassuring. Israeli Ambassador to Washington Tzachi Hanegbi confirmed that his country's forces would remain in Gaza until Hamas is completely disarmed.

Like the ambassador, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to reignite the war if Gaza is not "completely stripped of weapons,” while Hamas firmly rejected the idea of giving up its arms, stating that this condition is "off the table for negotiation."

Things are further complicated by the provision regarding the international stabilization force that is supposed to take on security responsibilities after Israel's withdrawal, as the newspaper pointed out that no details have yet been announced regarding the size of this force, the nature of its missions, or the participating countries, raising doubts about its ability to impose stability or withstand any potential Israeli intervention.

In conclusion, The Guardian stated that the ceasefire in Gaza is not destined to fail entirely, but its foundation is fragile. If it collapses, the rest of Trump's plan, such as the continued flow of aid, the deployment of peacekeeping forces, the establishment of a post-war governance system, and reconstruction, will merely be unachievable wishes, while the specter of war looms on the horizon.

Source: The Guardian