Features

Blessed Are the Peacemakers: Middle East Peace Plan and Prospects

Published

3 months ago

2025/10/12

Palestinian Children Celebrating Peace in Central Gaza

“BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS,” President Donald Trump exclaimed in ALL CAPS in his social media post from the White House, just before 7:00 PM on Wednesday, 8th October. He was announcing the agreement reached a few minutes earlier but well past midnight at Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, between Israel and Hamas on the modalities of implementing the first phase of Trump’s 20-point Peace Plan for Gaza. The opening phase will include a ceasefire in Gaza; Israel pulling back its forces beyond an agreed upon line leaving 53% of Gaza under its control; Hamas releasing all remaining 20 Israeli hostages and the handing over of the 28 who are believed to be dead; Israel releasing Palestinian prisoners and the return of their dead; and the start of uninterrupted humanitarian supplies into Gaza.

The ceasefire announcement came a day after the second anniversary of Hamas’s 2023 October 7 attack on 21 communities in Southern Israel. Nearly 1,200 people including 79 foreign nationals were killed, and another 253, including women and children, were taken as hostages. The immediate beneficiary of the attack was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who at that time was in the throes of his worst political crisis. Netanyahu seized the opportunity to consolidate himself as Israel’s wartime Prime Minister with license to attack and flatten Gaza. He went beyond Gaza and has destroyed the Hezbollah leadership and its infrastructure, silenced the Houthis and militarily crippled Iran. By then Iran had already lost the only state ally it had in the region – the discredited Assad regime in Syria.

While Netanyahu has military devastated Hamas, whom he once cultivated as an antidote to PLO and the Palestinian Authority, and eliminated all its allies, he has not been able to eradicate Hamas. It is with Hamas that Israel and the US, using Qatar and Egypt as mediators, have negotiated the latest agreement on Trump’s 21-point peace plan, even while stipulating in the same plan that there will be no role for Hamas in the rebuilding of Gaza after the ceasefire.

Netanyahu has also become the victim of his own military success. The scale of destruction in Gaza has turned the entire world, with the exception of the US, against Netanyahu and his government. Even in the US the popular support for Israel has plummeted to all time low and it is especially low among America’s young. Young American Jews in significant numbers are pro-Palestinian opponents of the Netanyahu government.

The learned opinion in much of the world is that the attacks of the Israeli government in Gaza amount to genocide. On 21 November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza. The warrant is still active, and just last month the Israeli Prime Minister, travelling to New York to attend the UN General Assembly session, took a roundabout flightpath to avoid flying in the airspace of countries that might intercept and enforce the ICC’s arrest warrant.

Avoiding a Pyrrhic Peace

The biggest sufferers in the whole melee have been the innocent Palestinians in Gaza. Over 67,000 have been killed, nearly 170,000 injured , and 1.9 M people have been displaced and the entire Gaza strip measuring 41 km by 6-12 km that was home to nearly 2.2 million people has been virtually razed to the ground. The main humanitarian consequence of Wednesday’s agreement in Egypt will be the inflow of medical and livelihood supplies into Gaza to meet the urgent needs of people who are on the verge of starvation and without medical supplies.

More importantly, the barriers to humanitarian aid delivery will have to be promptly removed. If not, the ceasefire and the silencing of guns will not mean anything more than a pyrrhic peace for the people of Gaza. UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres has said bluntly that “to turn this cease-fire into real progress, we need more than the silencing of the guns … We need full, safe and sustained access for humanitarian workers; the removal of red tape and impediments; and the rebuilding of shattered infrastructure.”

The UN has 170,000 tons of humanitarian aid already prepositioned in the region. The western countries, which recently joined the vast majority of UN members to recognize Palestinian statehood and the two state solution for the battle scarred region, are reportedly planning to flood Gaza with all the supplies it needs. Israel is expected to immediately lift enough of its restrictions to allow a daily supply of 400 lorry loads.

Removing barriers and addressing the logistic challenges for receiving and distributing supplies in Gaza should be achieved as swiftly as getting supplies to the area. These challenges may expedite the start of the second phase of the peace plan which is the setting up of the “Board of Peace” and a temporary transitional committee of Palestinian Technocrats that will govern Gaza under the Board’s supervision. The responsibility for governance will eventually be transitioned to the Palestinian Authority after it is ‘reformed.’ Hamas will have no role in any of this, but more on that later.

The Board of Peace will be chaired by President Trump and the former British Prime Minister is controversially included in the Board. The composition of these agencies and the future of Hamas are all knotty issues that will have to be addressed even as the first phase of the peace plan gets underway. Although President Trump’s All Caps self-congratulation is wholly understandable, there are plenty of pinch points in the process that can stall implementation and even reverse the movement.

The US President himself is expected to be in the region on Saturday, going to Egypt first, then Israel, and later even to Gaza. Apart from the obvious purpose of showering in the glory of his own achievement, there is also the more serious objective of making sure that nothing goes wrong in the implementation of the first phase, and to achieve the next of level of agreement to set up the Board of Peace and the transitional Committee of Palestinian Technocrats.

Credible Pathway

The Peace Plan by itself cannot, or does not even try to, reconcile Netanyahu’s intransigent rejection of even the idea of a Palestinian State, on the one hand, and the insistence of Hamas that it should be part of the rebuilding of Gaza and the making of a future Palestinian State. The 20-point Trump plan (paragraph #19) foresees that the redevelopment of Gaza and the reformation of the Palestinian Authority could finally create the conditions “for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognise as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.”

At the same time, the plan’s pathway for Hamas members, after all the hostages are released, is for them to give up their arms in return for amnesty so that they can either remain in Gaza or go to another country with assured safe passage (paragraph #6); and for them to “agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form” (paragraph #13). Hamas has so far been silent on these stipulations and it is not likely to fold up so easily.

There is no symmetrical provision in the peace plan for excluding Netanyahu from the implementation of the peace process even though a good majority of Israelis would want him gone, and even though much of the world is in agreement with the ICC’s indictment of Netanyahu as a war criminal and with the substantial legal opinion that his government’s actions in Gaza are tantamount to genocide.

Trump’s Bully Diplomacy

Yet there is optimism in the air – from the storied Sinai Peninsula where Wednesday’s deal was struck, through the charred strip of Gaza where humanity has been stripped to its brutal state of nature, to the divided City of Jerusalem where political walls separate the religions of gods, to the West Bank that is forever threatened by illegal settlements of Jewish extremists, and to the East Bank of River Jordan and beyond. From Chile to China and from Russia to Australia, every country in the world has welcomed the peace plan and its unfolding first phase. Iran is the exception.

Crucial to the continuing implementation of the plan is the coalition of five Arab countries – Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and three Muslim countries – Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan. None of them is at the top on any western government’s list of exemplary polities or democracies. But that suits the current American President, his social mores and political proclivities. Trump cemented the coalition in September, at the UN in New York, after bad-mouthing the whole world when he addressed the General Assembly. Not to mention the very launch of his political career that singled out Islam and Muslims for slander.

If ‘Fortune Favours the Bully’ might be a good epitaph for the Trump presidency in general, it would be more so if Trump’s peace plan were to be still there when the dust finally settles in Gaza. Without the fear of being bullied by President Trump, Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu and Hamas’s scattered leaders would not have agreed to accept the plan.

Trump’s peace plan is essentially the same plan that was developed during the Biden Administration, but the beleaguered Joe Biden could not cajole, coax, coerce, or bully anyone into accepting any part of his plan. Netanyahu squeezed him like a lemon and threw him away. The Arabs and the Palestinians, including Palestinian Americans, figured out that betting on the bullying Trump was better than supporting a lame-duck zombie.

There are of course other factors and forces that have helped create momentum for the plan. But every one of them is implicated by Trump’s bullying diplomacy, one way or another. In Israel, Netanyahu was already under massive pressure from the Israeli public and families of the hostages to end the war to free the hostages. Trump’s peace plan gave them the cudgel to beat Netanyahu into submission. With a thousand Israeli soldiers killed and 20,000 wounded, there was growing restiveness in the Israeli military, and the Prime Minister could not have rejected Trump’s peace plan without risking repercussions among Israel’s social army.

Netanyahu’s fatal mistake was his failed attempt to kill the Hamas leadership in Doha on 9 September. Trump was furious. Trump’s original peace plan had 21 points – one of them was to force the Israeli Prime Minister to extend an unmitigated apology to the Prime Minister of Qatar. But even before the plan was released Trump bullied Netanyahu to make the apology from the White House using Trump’s landline. So, the plan became a 20-point plan.

Trump had already issued an executive order giving Qatar an unprecedented security guarantee from any future Israeli attack. Then he got Qatar to bully Hamas to come to the table and make the agreement. Qatar’s senior leader Khalil al-Hayya who escaped the Doha attack in September, but whose son was killed, has been leading the Hamas delegation at Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt.

The breaking news as I conclude this piece on Friday (5:00 PM in Colombo) is that the Israeli government has ratified a ceasefire with Hamas to kickstart the first phase of the long peace process. On behalf of Hamas, Khalil al-Hayya has confirmed that he had received guarantees from Washington that the war is over. Blessed are the peacemakers!

by Rajan Philips

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Features

US’ drastic aid cut to UN poses moral challenge to world

Published

10 hours ago

2026/01/1

Thilina Walpola

An UN humanitarian mission in the Gaza. [File: Ashraf Amra/Anadolu Agency]

‘Adapt, shrink or die’ – thus runs the warning issued by the Trump administration to UN humanitarian agencies with brute insensitivity in the wake of its recent decision to drastically reduce to $2bn its humanitarian aid to the UN system. This is a substantial climb down from the $17bn the US usually provided to the UN for its humanitarian operations.

Considering that the US has hitherto been the UN’s biggest aid provider, it need hardly be said that the US decision would pose a daunting challenge to the UN’s humanitarian operations around the world. This would indeed mean that, among other things, people living in poverty and stifling material hardships, in particularly the Southern hemisphere, could dramatically increase. Coming on top of the US decision to bring to an end USAID operations, the poor of the world could be said to have been left to their devices as a consequence of these morally insensitive policy rethinks of the Trump administration.

Earlier, the UN had warned that it would be compelled to reduce its aid programs in the face of ‘the deepest funding cuts ever.’ In fact the UN is on record as requesting the world for $23bn for its 2026 aid operations.

If this UN appeal happens to go unheeded, the possibilities are that the UN would not be in a position to uphold the status it has hitherto held as the world’s foremost humanitarian aid provider. It would not be incorrect to state that a substantial part of the rationale for the UN’s existence could come in for questioning if its humanitarian identity is thus eroded.

Inherent in these developments is a challenge for those sections of the international community that wish to stand up and be counted as humanists and the ‘Conscience of the World.’ A responsibility is cast on them to not only keep the UN system going but to also ensure its increased efficiency as a humanitarian aid provider to particularly the poorest of the poor.

It is unfortunate that the US is increasingly opting for a position of international isolation. Such a policy position was adopted by it in the decades leading to World War Two and the consequences for the world as a result for this policy posture were most disquieting. For instance, it opened the door to the flourishing of dictatorial regimes in the West, such as that led by Adolph Hitler in Germany, which nearly paved the way for the subjugation of a good part of Europe by the Nazis.

If the US had not intervened militarily in the war on the side of the Allies, the West would have faced the distressing prospect of coming under the sway of the Nazis and as a result earned indefinite political and military repression. By entering World War Two the US helped to ward off these bleak outcomes and indeed helped the major democracies of Western Europe to hold their own and thrive against fascism and dictatorial rule.

Republican administrations in the US in particular have not proved the greatest defenders of democratic rule the world over, but by helping to keep the international power balance in favour of democracy and fundamental human rights they could keep under a tight leash fascism and linked anti-democratic forces even in contemporary times. Russia’s invasion and continued occupation of parts of Ukraine reminds us starkly that the democracy versus fascism battle is far from over.

Right now, the US needs to remain on the side of the rest of the West very firmly, lest fascism enjoys another unfettered lease of life through the absence of countervailing and substantial military and political power.

However, by reducing its financial support for the UN and backing away from sustaining its humanitarian programs the world over the US could be laying the ground work for an aggravation of poverty in the South in particular and its accompaniments, such as, political repression, runaway social discontent and anarchy.

What should not go unnoticed by the US is the fact that peace and social stability in the South and the flourishing of the same conditions in the global North are symbiotically linked, although not so apparent at first blush. For instance, if illegal migration from the South to the US is a major problem for the US today, it is because poor countries are not receiving development assistance from the UN system to the required degree. Such deprivation on the part of the South leads to aggravating social discontent in the latter and consequences such as illegal migratory movements from South to North.

Accordingly, it will be in the North’s best interests to ensure that the South is not deprived of sustained development assistance since the latter is an essential condition for social contentment and stable governance, which factors in turn would guard against the emergence of phenomena such as illegal migration.

Meanwhile, democratic sections of the rest of the world in particular need to consider it a matter of conscience to ensure the sustenance and flourishing of the UN system. To be sure, the UN system is considerably flawed but at present it could be called the most equitable and fair among international development organizations and the most far-flung one. Without it world poverty would have proved unmanageable along with the ills that come along with it.

Dehumanizing poverty is an indictment on humanity. It stands to reason that the world community should rally round the UN and ensure its survival lest the abomination which is poverty flourishes. In this undertaking the world needs to stand united. Ambiguities on this score could be self-defeating for the world community.

For example, all groupings of countries that could demonstrate economic muscle need to figure prominently in this initiative. One such grouping is BRICS. Inasmuch as the US and the West should shrug aside Realpolitik considerations in this enterprise, the same goes for organizations such as BRICS.

The arrival at the above international consensus would be greatly facilitated by stepped up dialogue among states on the continued importance of the UN system. Fresh efforts to speed-up UN reform would prove major catalysts in bringing about these positive changes as well. Also requiring to be shunned is the blind pursuit of narrow national interests.

Features

Egg white scene …

Published

10 hours ago

2026/01/1

Thilina Walpola

Hi! Great to be back after my Christmas break.

Thought of starting this week with egg white.

Yes, eggs are brimming with nutrients beneficial for your overall health and wellness, but did you know that eggs, especially the whites, are excellent for your complexion?

OK, if you have no idea about how to use egg whites for your face, read on.

Egg White, Lemon, Honey:

Separate the yolk from the egg white and add about a teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice and about one and a half teaspoons of organic honey. Whisk all the ingredients together until they are mixed well.

Apply this mixture to your face and allow it to rest for about 15 minutes before cleansing your face with a gentle face wash.

Don’t forget to apply your favourite moisturiser, after using this face mask, to help seal in all the goodness.

Egg White, Avocado:

In a clean mixing bowl, start by mashing the avocado, until it turns into a soft, lump-free paste, and then add the whites of one egg, a teaspoon of yoghurt and mix everything together until it looks like a creamy paste.

Apply this mixture all over your face and neck area, and leave it on for about 20 to 30 minutes before washing it off with cold water and a gentle face wash.

Egg White, Cucumber, Yoghurt:

In a bowl, add one egg white, one teaspoon each of yoghurt, fresh cucumber juice and organic honey. Mix all the ingredients together until it forms a thick paste.

Apply this paste all over your face and neck area and leave it on for at least 20 minutes and then gently rinse off this face mask with lukewarm water and immediately follow it up with a gentle and nourishing moisturiser.

Egg White, Aloe Vera, Castor Oil:

To the egg white, add about a teaspoon each of aloe vera gel and castor oil and then mix all the ingredients together and apply it all over your face and neck area in a thin, even layer.

Leave it on for about 20 minutes and wash it off with a gentle face wash and some cold water. Follow it up with your favourite moisturiser.

Features

Confusion cropping up with Ne-Yo in the spotlight

Published

10 hours ago

2026/01/1

Thilina Walpola

Ne-Yo: His management should clarify the last-minute cancellation

Superlatives galore were used, especially on social media, to highlight R&B singer Ne-Yo’s trip to Sri Lanka: Global superstar Ne-Yo to perform live in Colombo this December; Ne-Yo concert puts Sri Lanka back on the global entertainment map; A global music sensation is coming to Sri Lanka … and there were lots more!

At an official press conference, held at a five-star venue, in Colombo, it was indicated that the gathering marked a defining moment for Sri Lanka’s entertainment industry as international R&B powerhouse and three-time Grammy Award winner Ne-Yo prepares to take the stage in Colombo this December.

What’s more, the occasion was graced by the presence of Sunil Kumara Gamage, Minister of Sports & Youth Affairs of Sri Lanka, and Professor Ruwan Ranasinghe, Deputy Minister of Tourism, alongside distinguished dignitaries, sponsors, and members of the media.

Shah Rukh Khan: Disappointed his fans in Sri Lanka

According to reports, the concert had received the official endorsement of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, recognising it as a flagship initiative in developing the country’s concert economy by attracting fans, and media, from all over South Asia.

Nick Carter: His concert, too, was cancelled due to “Unforeseen circumstances

However, I had that strange feeling that this concert would not become a reality, keeping in mind what happened to Nick Carter’s Colombo concert – cancelled at the very last moment.

Carter issued a video message announcing he had to return to the USA due to “unforeseen circumstances” and a “family emergency”.

Though “unforeseen circumstances” was the official reason provided by Carter and the local organisers, there was speculation that low ticket sales may also have been a factor in the cancellation.

Well, “Unforeseen Circumstances” has cropped up again!

In a brief statement, via social media, the organisers of the Ne-Yo concert said the decision was taken due to “unforeseen circumstances and factors beyond their control.”

Ne-Yo, too, subsequently made an announcement, citing “Unforeseen circumstances.”

The public has a right to know what these “unforeseen circumstances” are, and who is to be blamed – the organisers or Ne-Yo!

Ne-Yo’s management certainly need to come out with the truth.

However, those who are aware of some of the happenings in the setup here put it down to poor ticket sales, mentioning that the tickets for the concert, and a meet-and-greet event, were exorbitantly high, considering that Ne-Yo is not a current mega star.

We also had a cancellation coming our way from Shah Rukh Khan, who was scheduled to visit Sri Lanka for the City of Dreams resort launch, and then this was received: “Unfortunately due to unforeseen personal reasons beyond his control, Mr. Khan is no longer able to attend.”

Referring to this kind of mess up, a leading showbiz personality said that it will only make people reluctant to buy their tickets, online.

“Tickets will go mostly at the gate and it will be very bad for the industry,” he added.