US President Trump’s acceptance of some conditions of Hamas’ twenty-point peace deal and the release of hostages gave hope that the massacre in Gaza will be stopped, but Netanyahu is currently forced to agree even if he does not want to.
Finally, there is hope that US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan will be effective in stopping the killings in Gaza. Hamas has announced that it is ready to release the remaining Israeli hostages. Trump has asked Israel to stop bombing the Gaza Strip. Trump said, “Israel should immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that the hostages can be brought back safely and quickly!” Of course, this peace initiative of President Trump is welcome. If this agreement works and peace is maintained, Trump may be one step closer to his ambition of receiving the much-awaited Nobel Peace Prize.
Hamas’s announcement came immediately after Trump’s threatening post on October 3, in which he had said that he had to make up his mind by Sunday i.e. October 5, otherwise everything would be destroyed. There is huge pressure on Hamas from all the Arab and Muslim countries to accept this agreement. This agreement is not entirely fair, but its main attraction is that the bloodshed in Gaza will stop, much-needed food supplies will be able to reach and Israeli hostages will be able to return home. However, Hamas has not agreed to the entire 20-point plan.
Hamas said in its statement, “Hamas appreciates the efforts of US President Donald Trump, along with Arab, Islamic and international efforts, which include an end to the war in the Gaza Strip, an exchange of prisoners, immediate access to aid, lifting the occupation of the strip, and an immediate end to the displacement of our Palestinian people from there.”
Many provisions of America’s twenty-point formula are not favorable to Hamas or the Palestinian people. Nevertheless, the dire situation in Gaza has forced Hamas to accept Trump’s agreement. About 46,000 people have died there, thousands are injured and there are famine-like conditions. Yet much still remains unresolved.
Hamas welcomes President Trump’s peace deal with certain conditions, provided Israel withdraws: Khalil al-Hayya, a Hamas leader
Retired ambassador K.P., who keeps a close eye on West Asia. “Trump’s so-called ‘peace plan’ is actually an ultimatum,” says Fabian. It is not even right to call it a ‘peace plan’. Hamas has agreed to release all the hostages together. This is a good thing. Netanyahu must be surprised, because he had made a 20-point plan with Trump so that Hamas would reject it and Israel could continue the massacre in Gaza. He also says, “Hamas has given a calculated response, so that the Israeli forces withdraw completely.”
The Hamas statement also said, “With the aim of ending the war and Israel’s complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the movement announces its consent to the release of all prisoners, living and dead, in accordance with the terms of the exchange proposed by President Trump.” In this matter, the movement is ready to immediately initiate talks through mediators to discuss the details.
Many issues still remain to be discussed. The major hurdle is the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, for which no time limit has been set. Hamas is talking about complete withdrawal and immediate handing over of the area to international peacekeeping forces.
People struggling for food help in Gaza
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on October 4, “The US peace plan is incomplete, and we disagree with most parts of it.” However, our priority at the moment is to save the lives of the Palestinian people.” He said, ”All the elements of that plan do not indicate the consent of the Arab and Islamic countries, but it is an important step towards stopping the bloodshed, stopping the evacuation of people and giving the people of Gaza an opportunity to return to their homeland.” All world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have welcomed the end of the fighting in Gaza. However, it remains to be seen whether Israel sticks to the agreement after the release of the hostages.
Netanyahu has welcomed the Trump peace plan in meetings with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The daily increasing protests of hostage families remain a challenge for Netanyahu. However, far-right cabinet colleagues may not approve of the agreement and may threaten to step down from the government. In such a situation, Netanyahu may have to seek support from liberal parties. At present there is no threat to his government.
In fact, due to the growing anger across the world, especially in European and Western countries, against Israel’s massacre in the Gaza Strip and the governments there coming out openly in favor of the Palestinian people, the pressure on Trump was increasing. Recently Palestine was recognized by Britain, France, Australia, Canada and many countries like Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco. It was being said that the difference of these beliefs will be visible on the ground only when it gets the blessing of Washington, otherwise they will remain just pieces of paper. The doubt was there and still persists because in the eyes of Israel, especially Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, there seems to be no respect for the world’s opinion.
The changing global scenario and the increasing influence of China and Russia may also force the Trump administration to take steps in this direction. It is not appropriate for America to isolate the Arab world, especially in West Asia. A few days ago, Arab countries were forced to toughen their stance due to the Israeli attack in Qatar. This stance of the Arab countries may have put pressure on Trump and they may have put pressure on Netanyahu to be ready for an agreement.
This is a message of relief for the people of Gaza and the West Bank who have been witnessing the orgy of death for a long time. This may also prove to be a moral victory for them, which Israel intends to annex.
Today more and more countries are recognizing the Palestinian state. According to AFP report, 145 out of 193 UN member states support an independent Palestinian state. Earlier, most of the countries that recognized Palestine were from the Southern Hemisphere, but now Western governments are also ready to give recognition. At present, America is the only permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which has not been in favor of a two-state solution. Now it remains to be seen what his attitude is after the new agreement. The five permanent members are America, Russia, China, France and Britain.
Gaza has been more or less devastated since Israel’s war began with the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Israel used starvation as part of its war strategy, bombed hospitals and targeted UN aid workers, doctors and journalists. All these have been part of the strategy of the Israeli army.
In fact, pictures of bombings on people leaving Gaza on foot towards safe places have increased uneasiness in most parts of the world. Former Saudi Arabian ambassador Talmiz Ahmed says, “The West’s opinion on Israel’s actions is now divided, the main reason for which is the growing resentment among the youth of Europe. The youth are shocked by the massacre taking place in Gaza and want action from the governments.
In fact, the concept of two-state solution for the co-existence of Palestine and Israel was introduced in 1948 itself. According to him, an offer was made to create two sovereign countries to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Under this, Israel is to be considered the country of the Jewish people, and Palestine including the West Bank and Gaza Strip is to be considered the country of the Palestinian people. That concept has been discussed many times, but due to Israel’s stubborn attitude the discussion could not move forward. Perhaps Trump’s offer of a new agreement will take us in that direction and we should hope that a permanent solution will be found.
