The fragile ceasefire in Gaza, brokered by former US President Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan, is hanging by a thread. The two-year conflict has left widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis, but a breakthrough was made when Israel and Hamas signed off on the agreement, paving the way for a ceasefire, human aid deliveries, and prisoner exchanges.
However, beneath the surface of this fragile détente lies unresolved issues that could unravel the entire peace plan. One major point of contention is Israel's withdrawal from Gaza. Despite initial pullbacks, Israel will retain control over more than half of the territory, including the Philadelphi corridor, which Hamas has insisted it must relinquish.
The lack of a specified timeline for these withdrawals and the absence of a clear enforcer raises concerns that the ceasefire could be jeopardized if Israel baulks at additional withdrawals. The White House's inability to intervene when Israel walked away from previous agreements is an ominous sign that Trump's plan relies too heavily on Israel's goodwill.
Another problem with the Trump plan is the lack of monitoring and verification provisions for Hamas's disarmament obligations. This omission could allow Israel to delay withdrawing troops by citing Hamas's non-compliance, while giving Hamas a convenient excuse to stall on disarmament. The complete lack of trust between Hamas and Israel makes these disputes almost inevitable.
The international stabilisation force (ISF) proposed in the plan is another concern. Without clear details on its size, responsibilities, and means, it remains unclear whether regional states will commit troops or if the IDF will intervene to contain disorder. This raises questions about the ISF's effectiveness and Israel's willingness to relinquish control.
Ultimately, Gaza's ceasefire may hold but its foundation is fragile. If disputes over disarmament escalate into violence, the rest of the Trump plan – including aid deliveries, peacekeeping deployments, a post-war governance structure, and economic reconstruction – will remain aspirational, while Gaza could revert to a killing field.
However, beneath the surface of this fragile détente lies unresolved issues that could unravel the entire peace plan. One major point of contention is Israel's withdrawal from Gaza. Despite initial pullbacks, Israel will retain control over more than half of the territory, including the Philadelphi corridor, which Hamas has insisted it must relinquish.
The lack of a specified timeline for these withdrawals and the absence of a clear enforcer raises concerns that the ceasefire could be jeopardized if Israel baulks at additional withdrawals. The White House's inability to intervene when Israel walked away from previous agreements is an ominous sign that Trump's plan relies too heavily on Israel's goodwill.
Another problem with the Trump plan is the lack of monitoring and verification provisions for Hamas's disarmament obligations. This omission could allow Israel to delay withdrawing troops by citing Hamas's non-compliance, while giving Hamas a convenient excuse to stall on disarmament. The complete lack of trust between Hamas and Israel makes these disputes almost inevitable.
The international stabilisation force (ISF) proposed in the plan is another concern. Without clear details on its size, responsibilities, and means, it remains unclear whether regional states will commit troops or if the IDF will intervene to contain disorder. This raises questions about the ISF's effectiveness and Israel's willingness to relinquish control.
Ultimately, Gaza's ceasefire may hold but its foundation is fragile. If disputes over disarmament escalate into violence, the rest of the Trump plan – including aid deliveries, peacekeeping deployments, a post-war governance structure, and economic reconstruction – will remain aspirational, while Gaza could revert to a killing field.
... it's like they're playing with fire here. I was talking to my friend from school who has a cousin who lives in Gaza and he said the situation is super dire down there. They need help ASAP! But what really concerns me is that Israel is still keeping a tight grip on half of the territory 
... it just doesn't feel fair. And what about Hamas's disarmament obligations? How are they supposed to trust each other when the plan has no clear monitoring system in place? 
It's like they're setting up a recipe for disaster. I mean, I know we can't control everything, but this whole thing feels so... fragile. Can you imagine if it all falls apart and Gaza goes back to war? 
The whole thing just feels like a big setup for Israel... Like, what's really going on? They're not even committing to a specific timeline for withdrawals? And if they don't follow through, we get stuck with no clear enforcer to keep them in line? 
It's just so frustrating. I feel like the US was so caught up in the idea of making a deal that they didn't think this one through... and now it's all falling apart. 
The whole thing feels so fragile, like it could all come crashing down at any moment.
it's like they just papered over the cracks without addressing the real issues ... Israel's not willing to budge on their control over gaza and that trumps plan is still gonna fall apart if there's even a slight hiccup 
. and what's up with the lack of trust between hamas and israel? it's like they're just gonna keep playing this game of chicken until someone gets hurt 
. And don't even get me started on the international stabilisation force – it's like they're throwing a bunch of different pieces into a puzzle and hoping they fit together somehow 
. And what about Hamas's disarmament obligations? Yeah right, they'd do anything except comply with those requirements 
. Mark my words, if there's a dispute over disarmament, it'll be all hell breaks loose and this whole thing will fall apart 
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. And what about Hamas? If they're not willing to disarm, can we really trust them to follow through on their commitments? The lack of a clear enforcer or consequences for non-compliance is a recipe for disaster 
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. This plan needs a lot more fleshing out before it can even get close to working 
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