World leaders gather in Egypt amid Israeli rejection of Gaza Peace plan’s main elements

New Delhi: As world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, gather in Egyptian sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh for Gaza Peace Summit, there is a mixed feeling of hope and uncertainty regarding the outcome of the move.

Israel and Hamas, the main parties involved in the two year deadly conflict, are not going to be represented in the Summit. Nor will Iran, which fought a 12-day war with Israel recently, will join in.

The Summit co-hosted by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, aims to ” end the war in Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in an era of regional security and stability,” as a statement from the Egyptian presidency said.

The Summit is basically discussing President Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza, but the plan itself leaves many things unanswered, and has elements which have already been rejected by Israel.

Under the plan Hamas will have to disarm themselves , and those who accept peaceful coexistence with Israel, will be granted amnesty.
As far as Gazans are concerned, they will be allowed to stay in Gaza, and those who left can return.

The plan leava open the possibility of The Palestinian Authority (PA) — the agency with limited government of a small part of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, remaining as governing body of the strip, provided it undergoes required reforms. There will be an international stabilisation force to replace Israeli troops. Later on it will give place to a new Palestinian police force. The plan envisages an independent Palestinian state.

The peace plan also strangely proposes return of former British prime minister Tony Blair to the Middle East as coordinator of the “Board of Peace”.

Israel has already announced rejection of some key proposals of the plan. It wants Hamas to be destroyed and not granted amnesty or safe passage out of the Gaza. Israel also does not see any role for the Palestinian Authority and would not give security control of Gaza to an international force, nor will accept a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River.

In such a scenario, there is obviously a lot of uncertainty regarding the outcome of the peace summit.

Meanwhile, under the first step of the peace plan all living Israeli hostages have been released by Hamas and in exchange, Israel is releasing 154 Palestinian prisoners, but according to media reports, these are to be deported to third countries, which has naturally come as a great shock for their loved ones. These 154 palestinian prisoners are part of a larger group of 250 people in Israeli captivity along with about 1700 Palestinians caught from Gaza strip during the two years of war.

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