One would think that anyone claiming to care about Palestinians would support President Trump’s peace plan. Most Arab states have backed the offer and are urging Hamas to accept. Surely, anyone concerned about the people of Gaza, who want the war to end immediately, would back it too.
But there are many pro-Palestinian activists in the West who seem more in favour of the war continuing, despite their fabricated claims that Israel is committing genocide – which it is not. It just doesn’t make sense. They accuse Israel of starving Gazans, but don’t want the flow of humanitarian aid. They complain about Gaza’s border restrictions, but don’t want a deal that allows Gazans to stay or leave, and freely return. They reject any suggestion of Israel’s control of Gaza (that’s putting it mildly; they actually say ‘occupation’), yet are against a plan that sees a Palestinian-run Gaza without Hamas.
Israel has accepted the peace deal. Let that statement resonate. Even though the offer doesn’t meet everything that Israel is asking for, Israel’s leadership wants peace. The same cannot be said for those telling Hamas that they should decline the offer. It raises the question: do they genuinely care about the people of Gaza, or is their focus primarily on hostility toward Israel?
Let’s look at what is being proposed:
- Release of all Israeli hostages within 72 hours.
- Immediate halt to fighting and phased Israeli withdrawal.
- Release of 250 life-sentence prisoners and 1,700 Gaza detainees by Israel.
- Amnesty for Hamas fighters who disarm; destruction of Gaza’s terror infrastructure.
- Temporary global “Board of Peace” and international security forces to stabilise Gaza.
- Rapid delivery of food, water, electricity and medical aid.
- Administration of Gaza by an apolitical Palestinian committee, with no Hamas role.
- Creation of a special economic zone with investment to rebuild and create jobs.
- Freedom for Gazans to remain in Gaza, or leave with the right to return.
Again, Israel has accepted this offer. Now the world looks to Hamas. Find out more about why many pro-Palestinian activists are against Hamas accepting this deal in the CUFI Weekly, brought to you by Kasim Hafeez.
