#gaza-peace-plan

#gaza-peace-plan

Behind the scenes: The call between Trump and MBS, which was not previously made public, took place after the Gaza peace summit in Egypt last month. A U.S. official with direct knowledge of the call said Trump told MBS he'd managed to end the war in Gaza, and now wanted the crown prince to move toward normalization with Israel. MBS said he was willing to work on it with the Trump administration, the U.S. official said.

Only a decolonised plan centred on Palestinian sovereignty can bring lasting peace to Gaza. United States President Donald Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan offers some constructive proposals on hostages, humanitarian aid, and reconstruction. Yet it is marred by an unmistakable colonial framework: Gaza is to be overseen by Trump himself, with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and other outsiders cast as trustees for Palestinian governance, while Palestinian statehood is deferred indefinitely.

Blair, as prime minister of the United Kingdom, helped negotiate a 1998 peace deal ending decades of sectarian fighting in Northern Ireland. He later served as a Middle East peace envoy for the international community, and now runs a London think tank. But the 72-year-old former politician comes with baggage: He's reviled in the U.K. and internationally for his 2003 decision to join President George W. Bush's U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Security Cabinet, has slammed US President Donald Trump's new peace plan, calling it "a resounding diplomatic failure." In an extensive post on X, Smotrich referenced the 2023 Hamas-led attacks that sparked the current war in Gaza, accusing Trump and Netanyahu of "turning our backs on all the lessons of October 7." He blasted the plan as "a tragedy of leadership fleeing from the truth." "In my estimation, it will also end in tears. Our children will be forced to fight in Gaza again," said Smotrich, the leader of the hardline, ultra-nationalist National Religious Party-Religious Zionism.

Chinese markets continued to show resilience today, with improved PMI surveys offering a glimmer of hope for the broader economy. The latest manufacturing PMI climbed to a six-month high of 49.8, edging closer to the key 50 threshold after a six-month period of contraction. The data, coupled with renewed optimism around Chinese tech stocks, helped the Hang Seng rise 0.9%, with traders increasingly viewing Chinese AI names as a means to diversify from the Mag7 names.

I have a feeling that we will have a positive answer. If not, as you know, Bibi, you would have our full backing to do what you have to do, Trump said, while looking over at Netanyahu. Everyone understands that the ultimate result must be the elimination of any danger posed in the region, and the danger is caused by Hamas.