Sacrifices from both Israel and Hamas can end the war in Gaza

For the first time in two years of bloodshed, hope for a peace plan succeeding seems realistic. By Eyal Mayroz

- Eyal Mayroz

Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli strike on the outskirts of Gaza City as seen from the Israeli side of the border on 7 October.

(Photo: Atef Safadi/EPA)

Two years into the most horrific chapter in the history of Israel and Palestine, a glimmer of hope has been offered to both sides by US President Donald Trump's plan for a permanent ceasefire and initial steps towards a faraway peace, or at least coexistence.

The plan at this stage is extremely vague, full of holes and strongly biased towards the Israeli side. However, so far it enjoys robust international support and legitimacy arguably, stronger than that of any peace plan in the past two years.

Trump's plan demands significant concessions from both sides, though much more so for Hamas, with punitive measures for failures to comply. And it inches closer than any time in the past two years to halting the senseless mass killings and continuing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

What are the prospects for the plan's success? What are the obstacles? And how could the world better support the prolonged and difficult process of trying to protect countless innocent lives in this part of the world?

On a grim anniversary of Hamas' attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, and with both sides exhausted, the answers require careful consideration.

For Hamas, there are a few immediate benefits to the proposed agreement: Israel's promises to end the killings in Gaza, allow humanitarian aid to flow and release numerous Palestinian prisoners.

At the same time, without timelines for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and for Palestinian governance in the strip, there are also major risks.