United States President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan affords some constructive proposals on hostages, humanitarian support, and reconstruction. But it’s marred by an unmistakable colonial framework: Gaza is to be overseen by Trump himself, with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and different outsiders forged as trustees for Palestinian governance, whereas Palestinian statehood is deferred indefinitely.
This logic just isn’t new. It repeats the century-long Anglo-American strategy to Palestine, starting with the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, when the UK acquired the Mandate over Palestine, and persevering with by way of successive US interventions, direct and oblique, within the area since 1945.
An actual peace plan should eradicate the colonial scaffolding. It ought to restore Palestinian sovereignty by addressing the central problem: Palestinian statehood. The plan should empower the Palestinian Authority (PA) by establishing that it holds governance from the outset, that financial planning is solely in Palestinian palms, that no exterior “viceroys” intervene, and {that a} clear and brief timeline is ready for Israeli withdrawal and full Palestinian sovereignty by the beginning of 2026.
What follows is a really decolonised different — a plan that builds on these rules. It retains the sensible parts of Trump’s proposal however removes its colonial underpinnings. It locations Palestinians, not overseas “trustees”, on the centre of governance and reconstruction. Crucially, it aligns with worldwide legislation, together with the 2024 ruling of the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice, the current decision of the United Nations Common Meeting (UNGA), and the popularity of Palestine by 157 international locations all over the world.
This revised plan preserves Trump’s core parts associated to the discharge of hostages, the tip of combating, the withdrawal of the Israeli military, emergency humanitarian aid, and the reconstruction of the war-torn Palestine, whereas eliminating the colonial language and baggage. Readers might examine this model level by level with the unique Trump plan obtainable right here.
The revised 20-point plan: The Trump plan with no colonial strings hooked up
1. Palestine and Israel can be terror-free international locations that don’t pose a menace to their neighbours.
2. Palestine can be redeveloped for the advantage of the Palestinians, who’ve suffered greater than sufficient.
3. If either side conform to this proposal, the battle will instantly finish. Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed line to arrange for a hostage launch. All navy operations will finish.
4. Inside 72 hours of either side publicly accepting this settlement, all hostages, alive and deceased, can be returned.
5. As soon as all hostages are launched, Israel will launch life sentence prisoners plus Palestinians who had been detained after 7 October 2023.
6. As soon as all hostages are returned, Hamas members who decide to peaceable coexistence and to decommission their weapons can be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who want to depart Gaza can be offered protected passage to receiving international locations.
7. Upon acceptance of this settlement, full support can be instantly despatched into the Gaza Strip. At a minimal, support portions can be in keeping with what was included within the January 19, 2025 settlement concerning humanitarian support, together with rehabilitation of infrastructure (water, electrical energy, sewage), rehabilitation of hospitals and bakeries, and entry of obligatory gear to take away rubble and open roads.
8. Entry of distribution and support within the Gaza Strip will proceed with out interference from the 2 events by way of the UN and its companies, and the Crimson Crescent, along with different worldwide establishments not related in any method with both social gathering. Opening the Rafah crossing in each instructions can be topic to the identical mechanism applied beneath the January 19, 2025 settlement.
9. Palestine, and Gaza as an integral a part of it, can be ruled by the PA. Worldwide advisers might assist this effort, however sovereignty lies with the Palestinians.
10. The PA, supported by a panel of Arab-region consultants and out of doors consultants as could also be chosen by the Palestinians, will develop a reconstruction and improvement plan. Outdoors proposals could also be thought-about, however financial planning can be Arab-led.
11. A particular financial zone could also be established by the Palestinians, with tariffs and entry charges negotiated by Palestine and accomplice international locations.
12. Nobody can be compelled to depart any sovereign Palestinian territory. Those that want to depart might accomplish that freely and return freely.
13. Hamas and different factions could have no position in governance. All navy and terror infrastructure can be dismantled and decommissioned, verified by unbiased displays.
14. Regional companions will assure that Hamas and different factions comply, making certain that Gaza poses no menace to its neighbours or its personal individuals.
15. Arab and worldwide companions, as per the invitation of Palestine, will deploy a short lived Worldwide Stabilisation Pressure (ISF) starting November 1, 2025, to assist and prepare Palestinian safety, in session with Egypt and Jordan. The ISF will safe borders, shield the inhabitants, and facilitate the fast motion of products to rebuild Palestine.
16. Israel will neither occupy nor annex Gaza or the West Financial institution. Israeli forces will totally withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territory by December 31, 2025, because the ISF and Palestinian safety set up management.
17. If Hamas delays or rejects the proposal, support and reconstruction will proceed in areas beneath ISF and PA authority.
18. An interfaith dialogue course of can be established to advertise tolerance and peaceable coexistence between Palestinians and Israelis.
19. The State of Palestine will govern its full sovereign territory as of January 1, 2026, in keeping with the September 12 decision of the UNGA and the 2024 Advisory Opinion of the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice.
20. The US will instantly recognise a sovereign State of Palestine, with everlasting UN membership, as a peaceable nation residing aspect by aspect with the State of Israel.
How our plan differs from the Trump plan
The revised 20-point plan, briefly, just isn’t radically totally different in kind from Trump’s. It retains provisions for demilitarisation, humanitarian aid, financial reconstruction, and interfaith dialogue. The principle distinction lies with Palestinian sovereignty and statehood.
Palestinian sovereignty and statehood: Trump’s model deferred Palestinian statehood to some indefinite future, contingent on reforms and exterior approval. The decolonised plan units agency dates: Israel withdraws by November 1, 2025, and Palestine assumes full sovereignty by January 1, 2026, 126 years for the reason that Treaty of Versailles.
Colonial oversight eliminated: Trump’s proposal created a “Board of Peace” chaired by Trump himself, with Blair as a number one member. The decolonised plan eliminates this, recognising that Palestinians require no overseas viceroys. Governance rests with the Palestinians from day one.
Financial sovereignty: Trump’s plan introduced a “Trump Financial Improvement Plan” to remake Gaza. The decolonised plan leaves financial planning to the Palestinians, supported by Arab consultants, with outdoors proposals thought-about solely at Palestinian discretion.
Finish of Anglo-American trusteeship: Trump forged the US because the guarantor and arbiter of the Palestinian future, with the assist of the UK. The decolonised plan explicitly ends this 100-year mannequin, affirming Palestinian and Arab management.
For greater than a century, Palestinians have been subjected to exterior colonial management: British Mandate rule, US diplomatic dominance, Israeli occupation, and periodic schemes of trusteeship, as in Trump’s new plan. From the Balfour Declaration to Versailles to Oslo to Trump’s “Board of Peace”, Palestinians haven’t been handled as sovereign actors. This plan corrects that and recognises that the Palestinian persons are a nation of monumental skills, and extremely educated and skilled consultants. They don’t want tutelage. They want sovereignty.
Our revised plan affirms that Palestinians, by way of their very own authority, should lastly and in the end govern themselves, make their very own financial decisions, and chart their very own future. Worldwide actors might advise and assist them, however they have to not impose their will. The withdrawal of Israel and the popularity of Palestine’s sovereignty have to be fastened and non-negotiable milestones.
An actual peace plan have to be aligned with worldwide legislation, together with the clear-cut rulings of the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice and the UN resolutions. An actual peace plan have to be aligned with the overwhelming will of the worldwide neighborhood that helps the implementation of the two-state resolution. All events to the peace plan ought to subscribe to this framework. That is the second for honesty, international resolve, and ethical readability. Solely sensible steps that implement Palestinian sovereignty and statehood will carry lasting peace.
The views expressed on this article are the authors’ personal and don’t essentially mirror Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
