21-point plan: can it end the Gaza war?
Shortly before a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, US President Donald Trump presented a 21-point plan to end the Gaza war. According to media reports, the aim is to impose a ceasefire, secure the release of all Israeli hostages and place the Gaza Strip under a transitional government without Hamas's participation. Commentators take a closer look.
An ambitious endeavour
Middle East expert Igor Semyvolos comments on Facebook:
“The involvement of an Arab-international coalition in the areas of security, administration and reconstruction is an ambitious endeavour, but it is encountering difficulties. Arab heads of state are demanding guarantees, especially regarding the West Bank and the status of Jerusalem, which runs counter to Israel's interests. ... The success of the plan depends on US influence over Israel, which could be limited given Netanyahu's tough stance. Nevertheless, the current Israeli government's room for manoeuvre appears to be shrinking considerably.”
Disastrous for Netanyahu
The plan could put an end to the Israeli leader's career, La Stampa postulates:
“The only person who can push Benjamin Netanyahu to sign Trump's proposed 21-point plan is Trump himself. Only a violent and immediate threat could force him to agree to a deal that would spell the end for him. ... The end of the war, perhaps, but certainly the end of his political career. ... For Bibi Netanyahu, these 21 points on the table represent a potential disaster. The Israeli prime minister knows that if he gives even an inch in these negotiations, which among other things foresee that the Palestinians remain in Gaza, his ministers would immediately abandon him.”
Details still a mystery
Der Standard sees fundamental questions left unanswered:
“The details of the 21 points with which Trump hopes to turn the tide in the Middle East are still unknown - and above all, how to achieve what has so far failed despite months of US-mediated negotiations between Hamas and Israel in which Egypt and Jordan were also involved: namely the release of the Israeli hostages who are still in the hands of Hamas. ... Israel is currently conducting a renewed ground offensive in Gaza City; a nightmare for the population for whom there are no safe places left and whose very existence is threatened by hunger and disease.”