WaPo: US, Middle East Allies Working on Israel-Palestine Peace Plan

Facts

• The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that the US and its Arab allies are working on an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan that possibly includes rebuilding Gaza, withdrawing settler communities from the West Bank, uniting the two territories under one administration, and a timeline for establishing a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.¹
• Israeli officials reacted with apprehension toward the reported plan, which is expected to be officially announced in the coming weeks, possibly after a pause in fighting in Gaza. A spokesperson for the Israeli government said that this is a bad time to discuss 'gifts to the Palestinian people' and the “day after” Hamas.²
• Complicating the situation is Israel's looming operation into Rafah, where over 1M displaced Palestinians are sheltering, largely in tent camps. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pulled out of hostage deal talks in Cairo on Wednesday, arguing that Hamas hadn't changed its “ludicrous demands.”³
• Nonetheless, CIA director Bill Burns traveled to Israel on Thursday to discuss the talks in Cairo with Netanyahu and Mossad chief David Barnea. Burns on Tuesday met with senior Qatari, Egyptian, and Israeli officials, reportedly making some progress but not a breakthrough.⁴
• On Thursday, Israeli forces announced that they had entered Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, the largest functioning hospital in Gaza, calling the raid 'precise and limited.' Gazan health officials said that thousands of Palestinians taking refuge at the hospital were forced to flee.⁵
• Gaza's health ministry reports that the conflict has killed over 28K people in the strip, mainly women and children. The war has also created a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation. The official Israeli death toll on Oct. 7 stands at around 1.2K people (and there are still over 100 hostages being held in Gaza).⁶

Sources: ¹Washington Post, ²The Times of Israel, ³VOA, ⁴Axios, ⁵Reuters and ⁶Euronews.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Vox. Israelis and Palestinians must make peace via a two-state solution. Though it may seem that it has never been as difficult to make peace, moderates must rise above the populist extremism of Hamas and the Israeli political right so the land can be shared. Both Israeli and Palestinian national aspirations are valid projects that deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. The two-state solution may not be the most equitable or desirable for either side, but it's the most achievable outcome.
• Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by The Jerusalem Post. Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel was the final nail in the coffin for the establishment of a Palestinian state. Since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, the enclave has essentially existed as a terrorist-run proto-state run by Hamas. Given the Palestinian Authority's inefficacy, Israel has no partners for peace, and the last 20 years in Gaza prove this. A violent, terrorist-run Palestinian state would be an existential threat to Israel's security.
• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Mother Jones. Israel killed the two-state solution. There can't be a Palestinian state after nearly 75 years of Israeli policies effectively atomizing and dividing the Palestinian political scene and physical landscape via a system of apartheid and occupation. The only solution is to accept reality — Israel is an apartheid state that practices sovereignty over the entire region, and this apartheid must be dismantled so that all people residing in the land can live free as equals.