Hand in Glove

The Gaza ceasefire proposed plan boastfully presented by US President Donald Trump on September 29, 2025, which Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has  accepted without compunction or solid commitment, is likely to face "many a slip between the cup and the lip"; and may not deliver the results Palestinians have long hoped for. While people on the ground may feel infinitely relieved by a halt in Israel’s vicious bombardment that has killed at least 66,055 people and wounded 168,346 since October 2023, the 20-point Trump plan contains almost nothing else positive for the people of Palestine. Just as a reminder to the hopefuls and confused credit takers and bookish analysts who are churning out  positive twisters to POTUS Trump’s 20 points agenda, please read “Farcical USA Peace Plan to Resolve Palestine-Israel conflict” published on February 1, 2020. This analytical piece was written in the backdrop of a similar presser held by Mr. Trump and Mr. Netanyahu on January 28, 2020, which came about after nearly two years of delays and endless speculation. Like September 2025, even then with a beaming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu standing by his side, Trump released his so-called “deal of the century”. Palestinian leaders, who had already rejected the plan unseen and had refused to deal with the Trump administration since its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December 2017, were not invited to the unveiling. At first glance, the proposed plan appeared to have an air of reason-ability. Like now, it talked of a “realistic two-state solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, pledged an unprecedented $50 billion in investment, and even mentioned the words “Palestinian capital” and “Jerusalem” in the same sentence. Beyond the thin facade of acceptability, however, there was a far more sinister agenda that was planned to do away with a legitimate two-state solution(i.e. pre-1967 positions), while normalizing enduring Israeli occupation and annexation within a de-facto one-state reality.

Trump’s current 20 points proposal is considered even more menacing and precarious with Palestinian leadership’s weakest position after suffering totally decimated Gaza strip, and now facing starvation as a weapon of war besides unremitting and indiscriminate bombing by Netanyahu forces. As a matter of fact it is further extension of Abraham Accords, which were aimed at recognition and normalisation of relations by Arab countries with Israel and were built on Arabs’ concern about Iran in September 2020 and in 2025, add to it Arab’s apparent vulnerabilities in the backdrop of shocker given by Israel with Air Raids on Doha Qatar during September 2025; double jeopardy indeed! The shivers given by Israeli air raid gave birth to Pak-SAUDI Defence Agreement within 24 hours.The signatories of Abraham Accords should have realised that no amount of wealth doled out to USA and her allies and backward bending by paper accords can neither ensure their personal survival, nor sovereignty  of their states and security of their people.

I had concluded in my above quoted column of February 2020, “The chances that Palestinians would agree to negotiate on the basis of the Trump vision are nil. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas angrily dismissed the plan as a “conspiracy” that would eventually be relegated to the “the dustbin of history” while threatening to take the matter to the International Court of Justice. Whether the Trump plan gains traction will depend on how it is received by key political actors internationally and at home by the Palestinian including Axis of Resistance/ Hamas. The real threat to peace is not whether the Trump plan will fail but whether it will succeed. A lot depends on the unified response by segments of Palestinians, Arab League, OIC, UNO, Muslim Countries in individual and collective capacities, and more importantly the Quartet including USA, Russia, EU and UN. For Pakistan, a clear Government stance is still awaited yet; nevertheless, the ominous side of this malevolent peace plan must provide a wake-up call to Pakistan’s decision makers who feel upbeat on Trump’s offer of mediation on Indian Occupied Kashmir. Please be forewarned!”

Despite a long-term peace process and the general reconciliation of Israel with Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco, KSA, Syria and Lebanon achieved through Abraham Accords from 2020 to 2025; Israelis and Palestinians have so far failed to reach a final peace agreement. The key unresolved issues have been: mutual recognition, borders, security, water rights, control of Jerusalem, Israeli settlements, Palestinian freedom of movement, and Palestinian right of return. Now the future of the Gaza strip hangs in balance as is the case for success of current peace proposals that ensure Israeli atrocious domination over occupied Palestinian lands and resources, besides honcho role in the Arabian peninsula and the Gulf region as a glove with American hand in it. Trump’s 20 point formula has raised more questions and concerns than solutions and answers to the Palestinian plight, who are facing extinction. Prudence demands that instead of blindly falling victim to mercurial Mr. Trump’s momentary praises, being reciprocated with hyperbolic statements and  ‘more loyal than the king’ behaviour; Pakistan’s decision makers should act sober and farsighted and stand firmly on longstanding moral high grounds on Palestine and IIOJ&K.