DONALD Trump’s Gaza peace plan has been backed by numerous countries since it was announced, including Spain, despite its president Pedro Sanchez having been deeply critical of Israel.
The US and Israel announced a peace plan on Monday where, if both sides agree, there will be an immediate ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces to “the agreed upon line”, and the release of all the hostages, followed by the release of Palestinian prisoners and a surge of aid into Gaza.
Sanchez welcomed the proposal, saying “we must put an end to so much suffering”, and added a two-state solution is “the only possible solution”.
But experts who have spoken to The National have said the plan establishes another layer of foreign control over the Palestinian population and will ensure long-term occupation and continued genocide in Gaza.
So why have states been so quick to endorse the proposal?
Backing from key players in Middle East
Nicola Perugini, a lecturer in international relations at Edinburgh University, said countries may have concluded that as the plan has been endorsed by the likes of Qatar, it is more credible than previous proposed ceasefire deals.
Asked why countries like Spain are supporting the plan, he told The National: “My guess is that some countries generally believe the most urgent thing is to stop the genocide so they might have perceived that since the plan was endorsed by key players in the region – like Qatar, the Emirates and Turkey – that there are more guarantees than in the past when we have seen Israel and the US preparing something and saying ‘this is the only ceasefire proposal on the table, take it or leave it’.
“In the previous instances there wasn’t regional support, so something different happened in New York with that meeting in which Jordan and Egypt, again key players in the region that have peace agreements or have normalised their relationships with Israel, have endorsed [the plan].”
Desperation for peace
Richard McNeil-Willson (below), a Middle East expert also based at Edinburgh University, said countries are desperate to see an end to violence and want to be seen as pushing for stability.
“I think it’s a misstep by governments to come out and support this, but I think governments have their own interests and I think they want to see any kind of solution packaged up as a peace plan,” he said.
“At the end of the day, the peace plan has tried to bring in these states, it’s not brought in Palestinians, but it’s tried to bring in western countries, which is maybe why they support it.
“There is a desperation for the violence to stop and for any kind of recognition of Palestine. I think there’s a desire by countries to look like they’re pushing for peace and stability in the Middle East, and this is one way in which they can put out the language of saying they want peace and stability in the Middle East.
“I don’t think it will hold.”
Plan is a ‘violation of international law’
Perugini said it is “problematic” that states – which also includes the likes of Italy, the UK and France – have jumped to support a plan that has not considered the interests and rights of Palestinians.
He added: “Everyone is endorsing a plan which Palestinians haven’t shaped.
“The other problem is this plan is very clearly a plan that gives away the principle of Palestinian self-determination. It’s a plan which allows the creation of an additional layer of the occupation.
“The plan is not a plan that abides by international law because we know that by international law, according to the decision of the UN General Assembly after the advisory opinion of the ICJ of 2024, Israel should have left the occupied territories since September 18, and they should have dismantled all the colonies in the West Bank.”
McNeil-Willson branded the plan an “ultimatum” to push for the surrender of Palestinians, who have suffered decades of occupation.
He said: “It ensures there’s long-term occupation and colonialism and continued genocide. We should think about this as part of the genocide process, as opposed to a way to stop the genocide.
“It’s about imposing terms of surrender on Palestinians, saying to them either you surrender to these terms, and you surrender those who are committing genocide against you, or you continue to be subject to the same conditions.
“It’s also a blueprint for various forms of occupation. Within the language, it talks about not occupying Gaza, but actually there’s a lot of language baked into it about permanent occupation, military occupation but also economic occupation and economic colonialism.
“It’s about giving Israel continued control of Gaza in the long term but under an international framework.”
He added: "This is a calculation by Trump and [Benjamin] Netanyahu, I think, to try and stem that rising tide of recognising Palestinians’ basic rights and self-determination."
