When, on 29 September this year, the decision on the Gaza peace plan was made by the president of the world’s most powerful country, the United States, Donald Trump, and additional countries including Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt supported it—backed also by the OIC and Western countries—then, in principle, the success of this plan should have been as clear as writing on stone. Unfortunately, this has not yet happened.
Later, when on 17 November the United Nations Security Council announced its support for the U.S. Gaza peace plan under its Resolution No. 2803, the need for swift implementation became a requirement of the moment. However, when this did not happen, it was not at all unexpected that a cunning country like Israel would commit further grave human rights violations, including attacks on Gaza, because the Israeli government has wanted from the beginning that the residents of Gaza become displaced and leave, and for this reason it opened the Rafah crossing from one side but kept it closed from the Egyptian side so that Palestinians leaving Gaza would not return to their homeland. Egypt and the other eight countries mentioned above have protested and expressed their reservations over this.
Before this, the United Nations approved three resolutions for a ceasefire over the past two years; however, Israel, by failing to implement them, has continued grave human rights violations, flouting international laws, and carrying out killings of peaceful civilians—including women and children—in ground and aerial attacks. The question is, what obstacles now stand in the way of implementing the peace plan, and whom should be held responsible? The answer is that Pakistan and the eight countries themselves should be considered responsible for the delay in implementing the plan—though those unaware of the Gaza peace plan would be justified in expressing surprise at this.
Let it also be mentioned here that Turkey and Qatar took steps for the 20-point peace plan by taking Hamas into confidence. Hamas’s objection on this point is valid: no resistance movement anywhere in the world laid down arms before achieving freedom, so how can Hamas lay down arms in the presence of the occupying Israeli forces?
Under the Gaza peace plan, Israel’s occupying forces have returned to the Yellow Line, and half of Gaza’s territory is still under Israel’s control, which is not only a violation of international law but also places the responsibility for the delay in implementing the “vacate Gaza” point upon the eight countries, because these countries were to deploy their International Stabilisation Force, known as ISF, in Gaza. The Indonesian president arrived in Islamabad yesterday on an official visit to Pakistan, and MoUs were signed between the two countries on 9 December; Indonesia is the country that has pledged to deploy 20,000 troops for Gaza’s International Stabilisation Force.
Before this, Egypt’s foreign minister also visited Pakistan, and negotiations are underway among all countries supporting the peace plan so that the establishment of the ISF can be facilitated. The longer the delay, the longer the force will not be established, and Israel will continue to target Gaza with its attacks—as one may expect from any defiant country. The 14th point of the 20-point agenda is precisely the establishment of this force so that the force stands in front of the Israeli forces and the Israeli forces vacate the area.
Therefore, it is necessary that all countries ensure the earliest possible establishment of the International Stabilisation Force so that Israel is not given the opportunity to carry out further bombings and ground and aerial attacks on Gaza’s unarmed civilians. Otherwise, there is a risk that Israel’s massacre of Gaza’s civilians will resume, which must be stopped with utmost effort. In the same peace plan, the 19th point states that a Board of Peace will be established, and when a technical committee of Palestinians is formed to manage their own area, Hamas will lay down arms before them, upon which the implementation of the peace plan will be completed.
