Netanyahu's stunt

Benjamin Netanyahu is undeniably a troublemaker who cannot be relied upon to make peace. He stands accused of war crimes in Gaza - where the ICJ ruled that Palestinians face a plausible risk of genocide - and remains a threat to regional peace and security. That impression stands vindicated once again as the hawkish Israeli Prime Minister has outright rejected the US-backed Gaza peace plan, refusing to withdraw from the besieged enclave while citing a stringent set of preconditions. The demand to disarm and "obliterate" Hamas while Israel retains its occupation of the Gaza Strip is tantamount to throwing a spanner in the works, meant to appease right-wing radicals ahead of elections.

Hamas had walked the talk by dissolving its organisational structure in Gaza and agreeing to surrender its weapons to a nascent Palestinian governing body. The Gaza Peace Plan, backed by President Donald Trump, was widely seen as a precursor to perpetual peace because it outlined autonomous rule for stateless Palestinians. Thus, this new stunt by Netanyahu is condemnable, coming on the heels of the Jewish state's continued transgressions across Gaza and the West Bank. It is a given that the multibillion-dollar demilitarisation and rebuilding project can only see the light of day if Israel abides by its salient features and stops altering ground realities.

Netanyahu had the audacity to visit the White House and snub the incumbent president by refusing to honour the Gaza Peace Plan. This attitude is an extension of Israel's policies to bomb Lebanon, intrude in Syria, and conspire to derail the fragile diplomatic balance merely to serve its vested political interests. This cannot be allowed to go on unhampered. The onus is on POTUS to put his foot down and tame his ally if he is serious about ushering in tranquility in the Middle East and beyond. It is also time for regional stakeholders to prevail over Washington to clip Tel Aviv's wings. It would be futile to expect Hamas to keep its cool while Israel pushes it to the wall.