Editorial
The unveiling of Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza framework, alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been received with deep skepticism among international relations experts and historians. Far from offering a genuine pathway to peace, analysts warn that the plan resembles a colonial blueprint that effectively leaves Palestinians at the mercy of Israel.
The central concern lies in the political disempowerment of Palestinians. By requiring Hamas to disarm and preventing any Palestinian defense capability, the plan strips them of sovereignty. A two-state solution without equal security structures is not a solution at all—it is a one-sided arrangement. If Palestine is denied the right to raise its own army or maintain national power, it becomes permanently vulnerable to Israeli dominance.
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International law is clear: sovereign states retain the right to self-defense. To deny Palestinians this right is to institutionalize inequality. Experts stress that unless the United Nations Security Council or an international force guarantees neutrality and enforces restrictions on Israel, Palestinians will remain exposed. The plan as presented does not provide such credible assurances.
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Equally troubling is the erasure of Palestinian political struggle. Resistance, whether through diplomacy or protest, has historically been central to their cause. By eliminating even symbolic resistance, the plan aims to reduce Palestinians into passive subjects within their own territory. Such a vision is not peace but pacification.
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For Pakistan, the stakes are significant. As a longstanding supporter of the Palestinian cause, Islamabad must tread carefully. Blind endorsement risks legitimizing an arrangement that denies Palestinians dignity and sovereignty. Instead, Pakistan should insist on the full application of international law—particularly the principle that no occupying power may permanently seize land through force.
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The Gaza war began within the context of illegal occupation. Any framework for peace must return to that legal foundation. Pakistan’s role, therefore, should not be limited to symbolic statements but must include diplomatic vigilance to ensure that Palestinian statehood, sovereignty, and security are not sacrificed under the guise of peace.
