Donald Trump reaches for ‘eternal peace’ in Gaza

The US President will be the chairman of the strip’s reconstruction board.

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Speaking from the White House on Sept 29, US President Donald Trump said it was “potentially one of the great days ever in civilisation”, a day which could lead to “eternal peace”. Even putting aside the hyperbole, a surprisingly substantial milestone towards ending the two-year war in Gaza has been reached.

Mr Trump had summoned the prevaricating Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, to the Oval Office and got him finally to commit to a ceasefire plan that has been endorsed by the leaders of many Arab and Muslim countries.

The plan offers a surprisingly sophisticated and balanced approach to Gaza. The big questions now are whether the nihilists of Hamas will agree to a proposal that requires them to cede power and their weapons, whether Mr Netanyahu can face down his extremist allies, and whether Mr Trump, who would be chairman of Gaza’s reconstruction board, is really ready to commit to the world’s hardest turnaround.

The 20-point Trump plan still lacks details, maps and timetables, which will have to be worked out in laborious mediation between the sides. Nonetheless, the basics are clear enough.

The deal’s first stage calls for the release, within 72 hours of a ceasefire going into effect, of all the remaining 48 Israeli hostages — both those alive and the bodies of the dead - who have been held in Gaza for nearly two years. In exchange, Israel will release 1,950 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 who are serving life sentences for murdering Israelis, a bitter pill.

A later stage sets out the disarmament of Hamas. Then Israeli troops will proceed with a phased withdrawal.

Israel has insisted until now that it will retain responsibility for security in Gaza. Under the plan, it will eventually control only the strip’s perimeter, including the border with Egypt, “until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat”.