The ceasefire in Gaza and the end to the Israeli bombardment and hostilities have been a great relief to the long-suffering people of Gaza. With over 67,000 dead and thousands unaccounted for, tens of thousands injured, and much of Gaza reduced to rubble, the ceasefire has come as a welcome deliverance.
The release of twenty Israeli hostages still alive and the reciprocal release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, 250 of whom were serving life sentences, have also brought joy to the Israelis and Palestinians. The Israeli blockade of supplies to Gaza since March this year, which caused famine and mass starvation, has been lifted and 600 trucks with food, fuel and other supplies began rolling into Gaza on the third day of the ceasefire.
These developments have taken place as the first stage in the 20-point ‘Peace Plan’ put out by President Trump on September 29. Both Israel and Hamas agreed to this phase of the plan. While the whole world heaves a sigh of relief at the pause in the genocidal war, it should be remembered that it is the worldwide mass protests and mounting public opinion that compelled Trump to plunge into this peacemaking effort. All the European allies of the United States who were the traditional supporters of Israel have one by one stepped up to recognise Palestinian statehood. This has also come about due to the massive public demonstrations of support in these countries for the Palestinian cause. Israel’s reckless impunity with its latest military strike on Doha in Qatar, further pressurised Trump to act.
Now come the difficult next steps to be taken. If Hamas disarms, there is no guarantee that Israel will stop its ethnic cleansing project. The Trump plan, though it talks about Palestinian self-determination and statehood, is hedged with various conditions and uncertainties. While it talks about temporary transitional governance by a ‘technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee’, there is also something called the ‘Board of Peace’ to be headed and chaired by President Trump for oversight and supervision of that committee. The 20-point plan specifically mentions the name of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to be among the members of the board. This reveals the neo-colonial intentions of this international body. Blair is the one who acted as a loyal poodle of George Bush in the invasion of Iraq.
Trump himself has made it clear time and again that he fully supports Israel and has not been expressing any objection to the Netanyahu regime’s annexationist plans. The transitional authority under the ‘Board of Peace’ may well become an instrument to convert the reconstruction of Gaza into Trump’s fancied Riviera real estate project. What then of the Palestinian people?
It should be noted that when President Trump went to Israel and addressed its Parliament, the Knesset, after the ceasefire came into effect, Netanyahu in his speech did not utter the word Palestinian at any time. Neither did he go to attend the Sharm El-Sheikh peace meeting of heads of governments, despite being invited. Netanyahu, who is in a coalition government with extreme Zionist zealots, has been waging continuous war against Gaza, Lebanon, Iran and Syria for his political survival. How far Trump will concentrate his efforts and continue to pursue Netanyahu to fall in line is a big question. Trump could bask in the limelight of becoming a peacemaker at the moment and then forget about the whole venture in the next few days.
The Arab states have a major responsibility in ensuring that peace returns to Gaza and Israel’s aggressive propensities are kept in check. The betrayal of the Palestinian cause by the major Arab powers, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Jordan, has been the greatest tragedy for the Palestinian people. All of them, close allies of the United States, chose the path, beginning with Egypt, of compromising with Israel and abandoning their fraternal Arab-Palestinian brethren. At this crucial juncture, the Arab states must live up to their responsibilities. They should take a firm, united stand to ensure that the United States keeps the Netanyahu government in check, extend their full political and material solidarity to the Palestinians and ensure that a pathway to Palestinian statehood is realised.
(October 14, 2025)
