At this essential juncture, Palestine’s leaders ought to come collectively to craft a transparent technique for reunifying the Palestinian folks
As Israel continues its warfare on Gaza, which is inflicting lack of life and displacement at a scale that has led to it being labeled a “genocide” by numerous consultants, the Palestinian liberation battle is at a essential juncture.
Regardless of undoubtedly recognising the significance of the present second, nevertheless, Palestinian political factions, together with Hamas and Fatah amongst others, seem unable to return collectively and lay out a coherent and lifelike imaginative and prescient for the way forward for Palestine. It’s crucial for them to put aside their variations, acknowledge their ethical tasks to the nation, and are available collectively to craft a transparent technique for reunifying the Palestinian folks. Such a technique should not solely thwart Israel’s well-defined and brazenly mentioned plan to ethnically cleanse Gaza and detach it from the Palestinian homeland, but additionally reply to Israeli efforts to displace Palestinians within the West Financial institution and Israel itself.
As a Palestinian from Gaza, I imagine at this level within the battle, alternatives are ripe for placing an finish to the continued warfare in Gaza, uniting the Palestinian factions, and launching a brand new political path to finish the occupation. There are 10 clear steps that would and must be taken, beginning with Palestinian leaders, to attain this and put our nation on a direct path in the direction of justice, peace and statehood:
- In the beginning, all Palestinian factions ought to decide to the fulfilment and eventual growth of the Qatar-brokered settlement to alternate Israeli captives in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
- Hamas ought to declare its acceptance of and dedication to the Fatah reconciliation settlement it signed in Cairo in 2017. It ought to name on the Palestinian Authority to imagine its tasks in Gaza and in addition reassert the dedication of resistance factions in Gaza to all agreements signed by the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). To counter Israel’s harmful post-war plans for Gaza, Palestinian leaders ought to set up an interim governing council for the Strip comprising technocrats from the area. All previous Palestinian Authority personnel from Gaza, together with the police, must be known as upon to return to their duties. This plan also needs to embody retaining civilian Hamas staff, together with the police. The reintegration of Hamas fighters and weaponry into the Palestinian Authority forces after the top of the warfare also needs to stay into account.
- Hamas ought to publicly acknowledge the Peace Accords signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Group (PLO) as the muse for a peace course of, and comply with the scheduling of elections for the whole Palestinian territory inside one yr. In return, Israel must be pressured to recognise a reformed Hamas as a mainstream Palestinian political faction and a celebration to future negotiations.
- The PLO must be reactivated and reformed in a manner that may make sure the illustration of all Palestinian events and elements inside its constructions. Explicit emphasis must be positioned on empowering younger Palestinians, each women and men, taking over consequential roles throughout the organisation and have a say in the way forward for Palestine. The reformed PLO ought to embody not solely Fatah, Hamas and different PLO factions, but additionally representatives from the Palestinian diaspora, in addition to unbiased representatives from throughout the nation. Members of the organisation must be reelected each 4 years in free and truthful elections, and it must be agreed that the organisation can have the ultimate say in all essential points in regards to the Palestinian folks till an unbiased Palestinian state is established.
- The reconstruction of Gaza ought to begin instantly below worldwide and Arab supervision. Whereas the worldwide group ought to contribute to funding the challenge, the brunt of the monetary burden must be placed on Israel because the occupying energy accountable for inflicting the destruction. The reconstruction effort must be used to place Gaza on the trail to reaching sustainable financial development. It also needs to purpose to deal with the speedy depletion of the Strip’s environmental assets on account of the occupation, together with points referring to water and electrical energy shortages, shrinking fishing areas, and destruction of agricultural land amongst others.
- Israel must be made to arrange a compensation fund for the households – each Israeli and Palestinian – victimised by its wars, aggressions and occupation. Western international locations adopted the concept that Russia could be compelled to pay for its warfare in Ukraine, and Ukraine could be rebuilt utilizing frozen Russian property. The Palestinian management ought to insist that the identical accountability is imposed on Israel.
- Worldwide observers must be deployed alongside Israel’s borders to forestall confrontations. Turkiye [Turkey], which is accepted as an trustworthy dealer by the Palestinians and has sturdy relations with the West and Israel as a NATO member, might be requested to tackle this necessary accountability.
- The siege on Gaza must be lifted, absolutely and unconditionally, with its border crossings, airports and ports reopened and its residents given full freedom of motion. A everlasting and safe passage between Gaza and the West Financial institution also needs to be established. Turkiye can even play a vital position in opening Gaza as much as the world, by establishing maritime and aerial bridges for reconstruction and growth.
- Israel must be pressured to right away and unconditionally halt all its settlement actions and provoke complete negotiations for bringing an finish to its occupation below UN auspices, based mostly on the 1967 borders, and inside a pre-set timeframe of not more than three years. The Arab League ought to proceed to push for its 2002 Arab Peace Initiative which known as for all Arab states to recognise and normalise relations with Israel in alternate for the institution of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Any additional makes an attempt at normalisation must be frozen till that is achieved.
- Lastly, if this political observe in the direction of sustainable peace and dignified co-existence fails or faces a major roadblock, a reformed PLO that’s stored in test by the Palestinian folks by way of common elections must be accepted as the only entity that would determine on the longer term course and nature of the Palestinian battle for liberation.
The views expressed on this article are the writer’s personal and don’t essentially mirror Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
