The Guardian view on Trump’s Gaza plan: the bloodshed must end, but this proposal betrays Palestinians | Editorial

An end to the annihilation, and the release of Israeli hostages, is urgently needed. But lasting peace cannot be built on the denial of basic rights

Two years after the Hamas atrocities of 7 October 2023, in which militants killed about 1,200 Israelis, and amidthe genocide in Gaza, in which Israel has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, the need for peace hasnever been more urgent. Palestinians are desperatefor an end to starvation and airstrikes. Israelis want the war to end for the sake of remaining hostages and soldiers. Violence has reverberated across the region. Momentum has been growing around Donald Trump's proposal, with both BenjaminNetanyahu and Hamas grudgingly indicatingacceptance under US threat.

With indirect talks between Israel and Hamas beginning in Egypt on Monday afternoon, there are frail hopes of progress at last. Yet both parties have made it clear that they reject major parts of the 20-point US plan, which begins with an immediate ceasefire, the return of all hostages - followed by the release of Palestinian prisoners - and the resumption of full aid.

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