EDITORIAL: Trump’s peace plan offers hope to ravaged Gaza

Will Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan finally bring to an end the grinding two-year war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and reduced much of Gaza to rubble?

Ultimately, the answer to that questions rests with Hamas.

Will the Islamic terror group, whose slaughter of 1200 innocent Israelis on October 7 2023 set into motion this humanitarian catastrophe, do what is in the overwhelming interest of ordinary Palestinians?

Or will they fight on, condemning those people to more suffering, death and hardship and Gaza to complete destruction?

That is the ultimatum they face.

The US-backed plan would see an immediate end to fighting. Aid would flow freely.

Work would begin on rebuilding Gaza’s ravaged infrastructure, including water, roads, electricity as well as reconstruction of hospitals.

A committee of “qualified Palestinians and international experts” would take responsibility for transitional governance, overseen by a “Board of Peace”, members of which would include Mr Trump and former UK prime minister Tony Blair.

And while the plan stops short of a commitment to Palestinian statehood, it notes that should the program be adhered to faithfully, “the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination”.

In return, it demands a demilitarised and deradicalised Gaza, in which Hamas plays no role. Hamas members who agree to disarm would be free to stay on in Gaza, while those who wish to leave would be free to do so.

The remaining Israeli hostages — both living and dead — would be returned to Israel, and in return Israel would release close to 2000 Gazan life sentence prisoners and detainees.

Israel will give an undertaking not to annex or occupy Gaza.

If you were a Gazan, having watched on for two years as your life crumbled around you as a result of Hamas’s self-serving war, you would be desperate for these terms to be accepted, and for the rebuild to finally begin.

The promise of peace, and a potential path to statehood. The prayers of ordinary Palestinians answered.

The alternative is that the US gives Israel its blessing to “do what you would have to do”.

“Israel would have my full backing to finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas,” Mr Trump said.

The equation is a simple one. It is in the best interests of Gazans for Hamas to agree and for fighting to immediately cease.

But Hamas has shown it cares little for what is in the best interests of Gazans.

Its ultimate objective is the annihilation of Israel. The lives of Palestinians are just collateral damage en route to the realisation of this obsession.

Fortunately, Hamas has been severely weakened as a result of Israel’s defence if itself. Mr Trump’s plan has the backing of the Arab nations including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE who want an end to the destabilisation of their region. To refuse it would leave Hamas even more friendless.

Hamas’ leadership may realise that their only hope of survival is to accept this deal.

The best hope for Gazans is that the shameless villains of Hamas do as they always do, and act in their own self-interest.

Responsibility for the editorial comment is taken by Editor-in-Chief Christopher Dore.