Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken on Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza; an official response from Hamas is now awaited.

"Initial analysis shows that this is a welcome step. And not just due to what is written in the 20 points, but because it seems there is hope of gaining broader international support for this plan from the region: Israel has announced its support, several Arab states, and as we understand, as well, several European countries, have also already publicly said they welcome the American initiative. We naturally welcome this initiative too," Vseviov told ERR.

"Naturally we are seeing that in the long term there is no alternative to the two-state solution. But as a positive, we can also underscore that this US plan actually stems from that same idea of a two-state solution – Israel's gradual pulling out from Gaza, naturally allowing in humanitarian aid, the freeing of hostages, and a gradual movement towards a future that, on the one hand provides security for Israel, and on the other, is also just for the Palestinians," the official noted.
The main question now is whether Hamas will also accept the plan, he went on.

"The U.S. has said, if I am not mistaken, that they want to move forward on the basis of their 20 points even if Hamas cannot agree," Vseviov remarked. "Israel has said that the situation can be solved in a hard way or an easy way, they prefer the easy way but are also prepared for the hard way. Naturally this also carries a threat towards Hamas, which, considering that these are warring parties, is not all that surprising." According to Vseviov, what is remarkable is the U.S. commitment being reflected in the points of the peace plan, all of which are worth welcoming when taken individually too.

Vseviov qualified his words by noting even the best laid plans can fail.

"Of course we have repeatedly seen in the Middle East that even very good, elegant plans may not succeed, once they encounter reality. This is a difficult region, but this attempt to resolve the situation must be welcomed," he continued.

"And now the ball is in many ways in Hamas' court — they must decide whether they want to continue fighting or accept the offer, which provides for Hamas' disarmament, but also an amnesty for those willing to move forward under this plan. Hopefully they will accept it. But even then, certainly the implementation of the plan will not be easy. If they do not accept it, then, unfortunately, the current situation will continue, which should not be in anyone's interest," the secretary general found.

Vseviov also highlighted the role of the Arab states in the possible reconstruction of Gaza and of a Palestinian state: "It is hard to imagine anyone else having legitimacy to do this. It seems that Arab states' support exists for this plan. We will see, once it moves into implementation, how far it can go."

The secretary general acknowledged that the war in Gaza has already once again placed enormous strain on Israel's previously normalized relations with the surrounding Arab states.

"So I think it is not an exaggeration to state that this may lead to something that brings broader regional stabilization, if the situation is resolved quickly in such a way that Israel's security and the Palestinians' legitimate expectation of self-determination are both guaranteed. But if not, the elements of stabilization achieved so far in Israel's relations with the Arab states may completely collapse," Vseviov stressed.

Resolving the conflict will also bring benefits in terms of Estonia's security, he added. "The very fact that we are talking about it here confirms that what happens in the Middle East matters globally. Inevitably — whether we like it or not — our allies, other countries of the world, are engaged with this issue, but all the time they spend on it is time not spent, for example, on pushing back against Russia's aggression. So it is naturally in our interest that peace and stability, in line with generally recognized norms of international law, arrive as soon as possible."

Background

Leaders have largely welcomed Trump's 20-point Gaza plan, including the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, who called the efforts "sincere and determined," words echoed by the foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan

European Council President Antonio Costa said he was "encouraged by Prime Minister Netanyahu's positive response" to the proposal. He added "all parties must seize this moment to give peace a genuine chance".

The 20 point plan published by the White House would see Gaza transformed into a demilitarized zone, with international supervision and security guarantees. A phased exchange of hostages and prisoners, immediate large-scale humanitarian aid and infrastructure repair would begin, under international oversight, and a neutral Palestinian authority, again backed by international oversight, would temporarily govern Gaza.

The current Gaza War began nearly two years ago to the day, when Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups launched a surprise attack on Israel which killed 1,195 Israelis and foreign nationals, including 815 civilians. A further 251 were taken hostage with the stated goal of forcing Israel to release Palestinian prisoners. The Israeli offensive in response has seen over the deaths of an estimated more than 66,000 Palestinians, around half of them women and children, plus more than 168,000 injured, plus mass destruction of infrastructure on a scale seldom seen since World War Two.

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