United Nations human rights and legal experts have raised significant concerns over the US-sponsored peace plan for Gaza, warning that it risks entrenching violations of international law. The proposal, unveiled by US President Donald Trump, outlines a 20-point ceasefire plan that envisions Gaza as a demilitarized zone under a transitional technocratic Palestinian committee, with international oversight led by Trump himself until the Palestinian Authority (PA) is prepared to govern. However, the plan has faced widespread criticism from Palestinians and has yet to gain acceptance from Hamas, who view it as a continuation of Israeli apartheid and genocide. The proposal includes a staged ceasefire, prisoner exchange, amnesty for disarmed Hamas members, international aid, economic redevelopment zones, and the deployment of a US-backed International Stabilization Force to replace the Israeli military. While the UN experts acknowledged certain positive elements, such as a permanent ceasefire and humanitarian aid under UN supervision, they emphasized that these measures are already mandated by international law and should not be contingent on the success of a peace plan. The experts identified 15 key issues with the proposal, including its failure to guarantee Palestinian self-determination, the lack of representative governance, and the absence of accountability for Israeli international crimes. They also criticized the plan for sidelining the UN and its agencies, undermining the legitimacy of the process. The experts concluded that any peace plan must respect international law and ensure that the future of Palestine is determined by the Palestinian people, not imposed by external actors under duress.
The 15 reasons why UN legal experts say Trump’s Gaza plan breaks international law
