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Is the U.S.-Israel Gaza Peace Plan a Deal or a Distraction?
Zaha Hassan, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
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Summary
Zaha Hassan critiques the newly proposed 20-point U.S.-Israel peace plan for Gaza, arguing that it sidelines international law, evades accountability for war crimes, and conditions Palestinian political participation on abandoning key legal rights. Rather than advancing an enforceable two-state solution, she contends the plan undermines Palestinian sovereignty and distracts from multilateral efforts rooted in international legitimacy, including the ICJ advisory opinion and outcomes from the recent UN High-Level Conference. By emphasizing demilitarization, technocratic governance, and foreclosing access to international courts, the plan risks entrenching the occupation rather than ending it.
Author - Zaha Hassan is a human rights lawyer and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Her research focus is on Palestine-Israel peace, the use of international legal mechanisms by political movements, and U.S. foreign policy in the region. Previously, she was the coordinator and senior legal advisor to the Palestinian negotiating team during Palestine’s bid for UN membership, and was a member of the Palestinian delegation to Quartet-sponsored exploratory talks between 2011 and 2012.
Summary
Zaha Hassan critiques the newly proposed 20-point U.S.-Israel peace plan for Gaza, arguing that it sidelines international law, evades accountability for war crimes, and conditions Palestinian political participation on abandoning key legal rights. Rather than advancing an enforceable two-state solution, she contends the plan undermines Palestinian sovereignty and distracts from multilateral efforts rooted in international legitimacy, including the ICJ advisory opinion and outcomes from the recent UN High-Level Conference. By emphasizing demilitarization, technocratic governance, and foreclosing access to international courts, the plan risks entrenching the occupation rather than ending it.
Author - Zaha Hassan is a human rights lawyer and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Her research focus is on Palestine-Israel peace, the use of international legal mechanisms by political movements, and U.S. foreign policy in the region. Previously, she was the coordinator and senior legal advisor to the Palestinian negotiating team during Palestine’s bid for UN membership, and was a member of the Palestinian delegation to Quartet-sponsored exploratory talks between 2011 and 2012.
Quotes
“If the plan is about strengthening the rule of law, why does it require Palestinians to forgo access to international courts?”
“The United States is asking Palestinians to commit to peace while being silent on Israeli obligations under international law.”
“The plan ignores outcomes of the UN High-Level Conference and the ICJ opinion—efforts grounded in legality and universal rights.”
“Even as it calls for self-determination, the plan doesn’t actually recognize that right—it leaves it as a theoretical possibility.”
“By treating Palestinian governance as a reward for good behavior rather than a right, the plan builds in its own failure.”
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