Trump's Gaza Plan Cannot Succeed Without Palestinian Leadership

posted on: Nov 5, 2025

By: Ghassan Rubeiz / Arab America Contributing Writer

Trump’s plan for Gaza is holding for the moment, despite isolated incidents of violence. Yet progress in implementing the 20-point plan is agonizingly slow and opaque. Tellingly, not a single Arab country has so far offered troops to the envisioned international peacekeeping force meant to secure Gaza. Critical questions remain unanswered: How will Gaza be governed? When will a yet-to-be-trained Palestinian police force begin its mission to protect Gaza’s people? How will this local force coordinate with the Israeli Defense Forces currently occupying half the Strip? When will the international “Board of Peace” be ready to “stabilize” the enclave? How much will it cost? Who will pick up the tab?

Given the staggering task of clearing mountains of rubble, defusing unexploded ordnance, rebuilding homes, and restoring services, the inhabitants of Gaza should be at the center of this unprecedented experiment. Yet the 20-point ceasefire plan does not allow for credible Palestinian leadership. (Israel appointing a group of Palestinians to oversee Gaza is one thing; allowing the actual occupants of the land to define their priorities and select their own leaders is quite another.)

Since negotiations began, there has been talk of persuading Israel to release Marwan Barghouti, a charismatic and widely respected Palestinian leader. Freeing him would acknowledge the essential role of Palestinian agency in Gaza’s recovery. But Washington remains reluctant to work with a Palestinian leader who offers a comprehensive plan for coexistence. Instead, Israel plans to fragment Palestinian territory even further, dividing Gaza into a “safe zone” under Israeli control and a Hamas-controlled “area” — effectively, a bantustan.

It may take time for President Trump to realize that he needs Barghouti as much as Barghouti needs him. When I asked about Barghouti’s release prospects, one expert told me: “Trump wants to take credit for his release, not Hamas. He likes strong leaders and sees Abbas as old and weak.” Another said: “I’m not excited about Israel and the US politicizing [Barghouti’s] potential release for their own narrow interests. My main concern is their current attempts to dictate and impose new leadership instead of allowing Palestinians to select their own.” It seems the administration is treating Barghouti as a bargaining chip: releasing him would allow Trump to claim credit for influencing Israel, and demonstrate his “tolerance” for Palestinian leaders with a resistance background.

One thing is for sure: this experiment will collapse if the Palestinians have no say in their own future.

Ghassan Rubeiz is the former Middle East Secretary of the World Council of Churches. Earlier, he taught psychology and social work in his country of birth, Lebanon, and later in the United States, where he currently lives. He has contributed to political commentary for the past twenty years and has delivered occasional public talks on peace, justice, and interfaith topics. You can reach him at rubeizg@gmail.com

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Arab America. The reproduction of this article is permissible with proper credit to Arab America and the author.

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