Just a week ago, official speeches were filled with talk of "diplomatic victories" and "recognition of the Palestinian state," as if reality had suddenly changed. Some leaders promoted the idea that victory was near and that joy was just around the corner.
But we quickly awoke to a joint announcement between Trump and Netanyahu, bringing us back to square one and revealing the fragility of our political illusions. A plan imposed without discussion, enforced by the balance of power rather than legal and just arguments, placing Palestinians before two bitter choices: either accept a systematic political liquidation or face ongoing extermination.
Despite the diplomatic language with which Trump wrapped his plan, its essence is clear: no right to self-determination, no Palestinian sovereignty, and no real prospect for a state. What is being proposed is a form of new mandate, under international management, with regional approval, while maintaining Israeli security and military dominance over the land, and stripping resistance of any capacity or legitimacy.
The most dangerous aspect is that the plan is marketed as an "opportunity for peace," while in reality it is an attempt to exploit the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza to liquidate what remains of the Palestinian national project. There is no equality in rights, no guarantees to stop assaults, and no serious talk about ending the occupation. All that exists are promises to deliver aid and conditional reconstruction, in exchange for dismantling the identity of the Gaza Strip and its political and military resistance.
The disappointment has not only come from the terms of the plan but also from the Arab and Islamic reception of it. Some major countries in the region rushed to bless it, under the banner of "stopping the war," as if stopping the killing should come at a political price paid by the victim.
This slip in the official Arab position is not new, but at this moment it seems more blatant than ever. The Palestinian cause, which was once the central issue for Arabs, is now reduced to a humanitarian crisis that can be resolved with one-sided political concessions, while Israel is exempt from any commitment or accountability.
Internally, the Palestinian arena continues to suffer from division and fragmentation, and from the absence of a unified stance and effective leadership. The state of paralysis experienced by the Palestinian street is not a recent phenomenon, but rather the result of years of depletion and division, where the issue is managed through individualism, formal conferences, and closed rooms that do not represent the popular mood or aspirations.
People in Gaza have been bleeding for two years under a systematic extermination war, and the political scene remains trapped in a cycle of paralysis and mutual accusations. Between the leadership's impotence, the international community's inaction, and the complicity of some Arab parties, the Palestinian today seems alone in facing a battle for existence, not just a political battle.
Hamas today stands at a dangerous crossroads. Accepting the plan is read as surrender, while rejecting it translates into an escalation of war and continuation of the massacre. However, between absolute acceptance and absolute rejection, there is room for legitimate political maneuvering, provided that the goal is to protect Palestinians and preserve the dignity of the national project, not to maintain authority or party positions.
Having courage here does not mean yielding, but rather the ability to make a complex decision that balances stopping extermination and avoiding national collapse. This requires Hamas not to remain alone in confrontation but to push towards a unified Palestinian stance that rejects liquidation and proposes realistic alternatives based on protecting the Palestinian person and their political rights.
The American plan, despite all its tragedies, is not a predetermined fate; Palestinians have previously thwarted dozens of liquidation projects, from the Balfour Declaration to the Deal of the Century. But rejecting this plan will not happen through mere condemnation statements, but through rebuilding genuine national unity, a comprehensive political discourse, and activating tools of popular and international struggle. Time no longer allows for more political luxury or bickering. What is required today is a responsible stance, commensurate with the blood being shed and the magnitude of the cause we are on the verge of losing due to our divisions and dispersal.
Stopping extermination is a national and moral priority, but it should not be used as a pretext for liquidating the cause. Likewise, adherence to resistance should not turn into an excuse for passing massacres.
What we see today is not just a plan, but an attempt to impose a new reality: Gaza without resistance, without representation, under external guardianship. But just as previous plans have failed, this one can also be thwarted if Palestinians possess the courage of stance and unity of ranks. History is not written only by the strong, but by those who have the will
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The American-Israeli Plan: Between Extortion and Liquidation