A bold new international peace plan is gaining momentum—and it’s putting unprecedented pressure on Israel and the United States. At a high-level summit in New York on July 29, representatives from 17 countries, the EU, and the Arab League unveiled a comprehensive blueprint for Middle East peace: Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the West Bank, the disbanding of Hamas, and the formation of a unified Palestinian state.

For the first time, major Arab nations like Saudi Arabia and Qatar have explicitly called for Hamas to disarm, while simultaneously condemning the October 2023 Hamas attack and highlighting Israel’s devastating military campaign in Gaza. The peace plan insists that without immediate action and global guarantees, regional peace will remain out of reach.

The initiative includes a proposed Gaza reconstruction effort to be led by Arab nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, funded through an international consortium. A dedicated Gaza Recovery Conference is set to be held in Cairo in the coming months.

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Support for Palestinian statehood is snowballing. Canada, France, and the UK have pledged to officially recognize Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September—joining Spain, Ireland, and Norway, who did so in May 2024. By then, over 150 UN members are expected to recognize a Palestinian state, shifting recognition from a symbolic act to a calculated diplomatic strategy aimed at forcing Israel into negotiations.

However, neither the US nor Israel attended the summit. The Trump administration has vocally condemned the recognition push, even threatening trade consequences against Canada. Despite Trump’s public concern over Gaza’s famine, aid efforts remain minimal, with Israel offering mere symbolic drops of relief.

Meanwhile, Israel’s continued military aggression is eroding its international support. Recent Gallup data shows only 32% of Americans back Israeli actions in Gaza, with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s popularity at record lows. Internationally, Israel is now seen less as a democratic outpost and more as an isolated aggressor.

While the suffering in Gaza continues, the mounting diplomatic recognition of Palestine may signal a historic shift. What was lost in 1948 may be inching closer to reality—with global support now louder than ever.

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