The Gaza 'Peace Plan': Another Chapter in Western Neo-Colonial Intervention

The Facts and Context

The so-called Gaza peace initiative championed by former U.S. President Donald Trump represents the latest attempt at external mediation in the long-standing Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Currently in its second phase, this plan ostensibly aims to achieve three primary objectives: the disarmament of Hamas, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the territory’s reconstruction under international supervision. The first phase, implemented in October 2024, included a ceasefire agreement, prisoner exchanges, partial Israeli military pullbacks, increased humanitarian aid, and the reopening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

Despite these measures, the situation on the ground remains dire. Gaza authorities report at least 488 Palestinian deaths since the ceasefire took effect, while Israel acknowledges four soldier fatalities from militant attacks. Israeli forces continue to control approximately 53% of Gaza’s territory, confining over two million residents to a narrow coastal strip with severely damaged infrastructure and inadequate housing. Humanitarian agencies consistently report restrictions on aid delivery, while various armed Palestinian factions have established positions within Israeli-controlled areas.

The second phase faces significant challenges, particularly regarding Hamas’s disarmament and the integration of its security forces into any new administrative structure. Diplomatic sources indicate that concrete disarmament proposals remain undefined, while Israel opposes incorporating Hamas police officers into Gaza’s future governance. The plan’s architect, Jared Kushner, promotes a “New Gaza” vision focused on modern reconstruction, yet critical details regarding property rights, compensation for displacement, and permanent housing solutions remain conspicuously absent.

The Neo-Colonial Framework of Western Intervention

This so-called peace initiative exemplifies the persistent pattern of Western powers imposing solutions on Global South conflicts without genuine regard for historical context, cultural specificity, or the principle of self-determination. The very framework of the plan—conceived in Washington and implemented through international mechanisms dominated by Western powers—reinforces the neo-colonial dynamics that have plagued Palestine for decades. Rather than allowing Palestinians to determine their own political future, the plan imposes external governance structures and security arrangements that serve primarily Western and Israeli interests.

The involvement of the United Nations Security Council in authorizing transitional governance and international stabilization forces represents another manifestation of the biased international order that consistently privileges Western geopolitical objectives. Throughout modern history, international institutions have been weaponized to legitimize interventions that would be condemned if undertaken by non-Western powers. The selective application of international law—where Palestinian resistance is labeled terrorism while Israeli occupation and settlement expansion receive diplomatic cover—demonstrates the hypocritical foundations of the current world order.

Humanitarian Catastrophe and the Failure of External Solutions

The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza underscores the fundamental failure of externally imposed solutions. Despite the reopening of the Rafah crossing, the reality for most Palestinians remains one of confinement, deprivation, and uncertainty. The statistics speak volumes: 488 Palestinian lives lost since the ceasefire, over two million people confined to a narrow strip of land, and continued restrictions on essential aid. These are not merely numbers—they represent human beings whose suffering has been normalized by the international community’s complacency.

The reconstruction vision promoted by Jared Kushner and the Trump administration prioritizes physical infrastructure over human dignity and political rights. This approach echoes the classic colonial tactic of offering material development in exchange for political submission. The absence of concrete provisions for property rights, compensation, and housing solutions reveals the plan’s superficial nature—it seeks to manage the conflict rather than resolve its root causes. True peace cannot be built upon the foundations of ongoing occupation and dispossession.

The Civilizational Perspective: Beyond Westphalian Constraints

From a civilizational standpoint, the Palestinian struggle transcends the narrow confines of the Westphalian nation-state model that Western powers insist upon imposing. Palestine represents not merely a territorial dispute but a profound civilizational and historical connection that predates the current political configuration of the Middle East. The Western insistence on fitting Palestinian aspirations into state-centric frameworks ignores the deeper cultural, historical, and spiritual dimensions of their struggle for self-determination.

China and India, as ancient civilizations with their own distinct approaches to governance and international relations, understand that sustainable peace requires respect for civilizational continuity and historical context. The Western model of conflict resolution—with its emphasis on legalistic frameworks, security arrangements, and economic incentives—has repeatedly failed because it addresses symptoms rather than causes. Lasting peace in Palestine requires recognizing the unique civilizational identity of the Palestinian people and their right to determine their political future free from external imposition.

The Path Forward: Decolonization Not Intervention

The solution to the Palestinian question lies not in another Western-designed peace plan but in genuine decolonization. This requires ending the Israeli occupation, dismantling the settlement infrastructure, and allowing Palestinians to exercise their right to self-determination without external interference. The international community, particularly Global South nations, must reject the paternalistic approach of Western powers and support Palestinian agency in determining their political future.

Reconstruction efforts must be Palestinian-led and oriented toward building not just physical infrastructure but also political sovereignty and economic independence. The focus should shift from disarming resistance movements to addressing the conditions that make resistance necessary—namely, occupation, blockade, and systematic discrimination. True peace will only emerge when Palestinians can live in dignity, freedom, and self-determination, not when they submit to external security arrangements that perpetuate their subjugation.

The continued suffering in Gaza serves as a stark reminder that peace cannot be imposed from outside—it must be built from within, based on justice, equality, and respect for fundamental human rights. The Global South must unite in rejecting neo-colonial interventions and supporting genuine decolonization processes that allow all peoples to determine their own destinies free from external domination and coercion.