US-Israel Gaza Roadmap: Crossroads of peacemaking, reconstruction, exclusion and ambiguity

On the heels of the new US-Israel peace plan and Gaza reconstruction, Genie Godula welcomes French diplomat and former Ambassador to Lebanon Patrice Paoli. A seasoned diplomat with decades of experience, he takes us through the wide-ranging proposals, encompassing new, positive post-war initiatives alongside numerous ambiguities. On one hand, promises that resonate with moral urgency: the end of bloodshed, the release of hostages, a firm commitment ensuring no Gazan would be forced from their homes, and a nod to the role of the United Nations and a vague pathway to self-determination. Then came the caveats that risk undermining the very spirit of ceasefire, political transition and reconstruction: no timeline for withdrawal, no clarity on who will govern Gaza, strict exclusion of both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, and a strong resistance from Netanyahu in recognising a sovereign Palestinian state.