Trump Peace Plan to Be Implemented as Negotiations Continue
A pause in fighting, release of hostages, and then . . . ?
AP (“Israel and Hamas agree to part of Trump’s Gaza peace plan, will free hostages and prisoners“):
Israel and Hamas agreed Wednesday to pause fighting in Gaza so that the remaining hostages there can be freed in the coming days in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, accepting elements of a plan put forward by the Trump administration that would represent the biggest breakthrough in months in the devastating two-year-old war.
“This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace,” President Donald Trump wrote on social media in trumpeting the agreement. “All Parties will be treated fairly!”
Israel and Hamas separately confirmed the contours of their deal, which drew celebratory gatherings from hostage families in Tel Aviv and cautious optimism from some in Gaza. Hamas intends to release all 20 living hostages in a matter of days, while the Israeli military will begin a withdrawal from the majority of Gaza, people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss details of an agreement that has not fully been made public.
We’ve been close to an end before, including the release of some hostages, and fighting broke back out. But the combination of the backing of the United States and what seems to be exhaustion on both sides makes this time feel different.
Still, there’s a long way to go.
Uncertainty remains about some of the thornier aspects of Trump’s proposal — such as whether and how Hamas will disarm, and who will govern Gaza — but the sides appear closer than they have been in several months to ending a war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, destroyed most of Gaza and triggered other armed conflicts across the Middle East. The war, which began with Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, has sparked worldwide protests and brought allegations of genocide that Israel denies.
Israel is more isolated than it has been in decades and Israelis have been bitterly divided over the failure to return the hostages. Palestinians’ dream of an independent state, meanwhile, appears more remote than ever despite recent moves by major Western countries to recognize one. With the outlook bleak as the war’s two-year anniversary approached, the Trump administration put forward a plan last month that it hoped would result in a permanent end to the war and bring about a sustainable peace in the region.
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For its part, Hamas called on Trump and the mediators to ensure that Israel implements “without disavowal or delay” a deal that it said would require the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, the entry of aid into the territory and the exchange of prisoners for hostages.
In the short term, then, Israel gets its hostages back and Gaza gets a respite from the seige. But then what?
We’re no closer to anything like a permanent settlement than we have been. Israel will not—and should not—accept an end that has Hamas still standing as an armed force. Hamas leadership is still not willing to disarm, since it’s mostly civilians dying in the war.
Officials have expressed concerns over how long it may take Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups holding Israelis to locate and return the remains of those believed to be dead, as required under the agreement.
Under the plan conceived by Trump, Israel would maintain an open-ended military presence inside Gaza, along its border with Israel. An international force, comprised largely of troops from Arab and Muslim countries, would be responsible for security inside Gaza. The U.S. would lead a massive internationally funded reconstruction effort in Gaza.
The plan also envisions an eventual role for the Palestinian Authority — something Netanyahu opposes. But it requires the authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, to undergo a sweeping reform program that could take years to implement.
The Trump plan is even more vague about a future Palestinian state, which Netanyahu firmly rejects.
While most of the international community, including most of our major allies, have recognized a Palestinian state, one does not exist. And it’s just inconceivable to me that one will exist in my lifetime. Certainly, not one that includes part of Jerusalem. A Palestine that consists of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, separated by a hostile Israel, makes no sense whatsoever for either side. Israel will never feel safe and the Palestinians will never feel satisfied.
An international peacekeeping force would presumably tamp down the likelihood of Hamas or a successor group carrying out another attack on Israel. But it will take generations for Israelis to get past October 7. And perhaps longer still for the Palestinians to recover from the reckoning that followed.
