Israel and Hamas Finalize Peace Plan
Ben Nash | KUJH & Aminah Syed | KUJH
Hamas has agreed to the 20-point plan proposed by the United States and Israel on Wednesday night. This entails an immediate end to the two-year war between Hamas and Israel.
The plan emphasizes that Hamas must return the hostages to Israel, while Israel must return the detainees and prisoners to the Gaza Strip. There will be a complete withdrawal of any occupational forces in the area along with humanitarian aid, amidst the starvation crises in Gaza.
President Donald Trump, who took part in creating the 20-point plan, announced the agreement on Wednesday evening on Truth Social.
“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan,” Trump said in his post. “This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace. All Parties will be treated fairly!”
The president of Jewish Students for People’s Liberation, Maxwell D, said that that this plan could be a crucial step forward for peace.
“Bringing an end to the bombing campaigns that have been going on in Gaza is always going to be a net positive,” Maxwell said. “I think an end to that mass-scale violence, if that is what’s going to come from this, is incredibly important.”
Maxwell also stated that despite the peace plan, it does not mean that local activism stops here.
“Let’s say the bombings end and the starvation ends. That doesn’t mean that the Palestinians are liberated, and we’re Jewish Students for People’s Liberation,” Maxwell said. “Just because there is peace, as we might call it, or whatever Donald Trump wants to define as being peace. If we see that, that doesn’t mean the Palestinian people are being liberated. That doesn’t mean that people are globally liberated.”
KUJH News reached out to multiple Israel-supporting organizations on campus; they have declined to comment because of a Jewish holiday. The Students for Justice in Palestine also declined to comment.
On Monday, Trump is expected to appear in a ceremony celebrating the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. Hostages and prisoners from either side will be released within the next 72 hours.
