Mint Quick Edit | Can Trump end the Gaza war? His bold plan faces stiff obstacles
America’s leadership is full of surprises, and for a change, US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan is a pleasant one. Under it, Israel would get no licence to pursue any Zionist expansion that alters ground reality and leaves no space for a Palestinian state.
Not only is a two-state solution still on the table, the war would stop—to global sighs of relief—and a war-flattened Gaza could be rebuilt for Gazans. But Hamas’s sign-on may be hard to get, as the deal asks it to give up not just its only bargaining chip, hostages, but also surrender and walk away.
Israel’s internal politics could be a hitch too, as an end to the war could also end its leader’s grip on power. Incentives at odds with the plan’s key aims only add to mistrust on both sides over any bargain being kept.
Past efforts have faltered. This one is weighed down by the risk of Hamas arising again as a terror outfit in another guise after a ceasefire and Arab perceptions of lost US influence over Israeli actions.
Peace after nearly two years of brutality demands a credible guarantor. Past US presidents have tried, but few have projected themselves as great deal-makers. For that reason alone, this looks like Trump’s biggest test yet.
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