Gaza remains on the edge

Integration programs

"You need to give their people tangible, political achievements (like) pardons and integration programs. And usually, the process of disarmament takes a long time," said Al-Dwaik, citing Northern Ireland's Good Friday Agreement between the Irish and UK governments that saw disarmament taking place over seven years.

"We don't see this happening now in Palestine. We see pressure on the Palestinians to disarm without providing any tangible political aid or even any horizon for a political process," Al-Dwaik said.

"We see expansion of the occupation in the West Bank, entrenchment of the occupation in the West Bank," he added.

He said they are concerned that having a stabilization force on the ground "might lead to stabilizing occupation and also normalizing occupation", instead of helping end the occupation.

"What we need is empowerment of Palestinians, rather than bringing forces to govern them," said Al-Dwaik.

In December, the Israeli security cabinet approved 19 new settlement outposts in the West Bank. Trump had previously said he would not allow Israeli annexation of the West Bank and reaffirmed this view during his meeting with Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, on Dec 29.

Coupled with the West Bank news was a report from British research agency Forensic Architecture, which found from satellite imagery that Israel had constructed at least 13 new military outposts in Gaza, consolidated existing military infrastructure, built roads, and destroyed more Palestinian property.

Israeli NGO B'Tselem said in a post on X on Dec 25 that since the "ceasefire" was declared on Oct 10, Israel "has been continuing its onslaught on the ground", alleging that forces have killed 405 Palestinians and injured 1,114 throughout the Gaza Strip as of Dec 22.

Saul Takahashi, former deputy head of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in occupied Palestine, argued that Trump's plan "is not a peace plan at all", but a plan for "colonial domination and exploitation of Gaza".

"There is no point in talking about the 'two-state solution', as there is one side that has refused it for decades, and that side is Israel," Takahashi told China Daily.

He also said it was not about Netanyahu or any particular "right-wing Israeli politician".

"Israel has a Basic Law (equivalent to a Constitution) stating explicitly that only the Jewish people have self-determination in all of the 'Land of Israel' (all of Mandate Palestine, and maybe much of Lebanon, Syria, and other countries)," said Takahashi. Mandate Palestine, or Mandatory Palestine, was a British administrative territory that existed between 1920 and 1948 in the region of Palestine.

"Israel has not only been committing genocide in Gaza, but is also ethnically cleansing the West Bank, and committing blatant aggression against other countries in the region. Israel needs to be held accountable for its continuing violations of international law," he said.

According to an Al Jazeera report published on Dec 29, citing Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, or ACLED, an independent and impartial conflict monitor, Israel attacked at least six states in 2025, including Palestine, Iran, Lebanon, Qatar, Syria, and Yemen and also carried out strikes in Tunisian, Maltese and Greek territorial waters on aid flotillas heading for Gaza. It attacked more countries than any other country in 2025.

These attacks occurred even after South Africa launched a case at the International Court of Justice in December 2023 alleging Israel was committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. Brazil, Colombia, Ireland, Mexico, Spain and Turkiye joined the proceedings with Belgium, becoming the latest country to join in December.

One of the recommendations made by those countries to get Israel to comply is the warning to suspend all military, trade and diplomatic relations with Israel.

Most recently, Israel moved to recognize Somaliland, being the first state to do so.