Tony Blair: The former British prime minister will forever be associated with the disastrous 2003 invasion of Iraq but his engagement with the region did not end there. Photograph: Andrew Testa/The New York Times
The plan unveiled by US president Donald Trump and Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, to end the war in Gaza has been welcomed by many in the Middle East and beyond. It offers the possibility, at least, of an end to the Israeli onslaught which has killed nearly 70,000 Palestinians and reduced much of the territory to rubble. The plan presents 20 points , and sets out measures for the governance and reconstruction of Gaza in the immediate and longer terms, which would follow a ceasefire by both sides. While the objectives are laudable, there is much that is highly problematic.
The terms of the plan require both sides to agree to end the war immediately, to be followed by the return of all Israeli hostages, and the release of Palestinian prisoners by Israel. Once this is done, Hamas members who commit to “peaceful coexistence and decommission their weapons will be given amnesty” while members who wish to leave Gaza will be given safe passage.
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