Lead

A peace plan for Gaza championed by US President Donald Trump has encountered significant turbulence, according to reports from Al Jazeera and Dawn. The Israeli prime minister has rejected the deal, insisting that the military will not withdraw from the Strip until Hamas is genuinely disarmed, while Hamas has reportedly already agreed to surrender its weapons to a Palestinian committee. The reports describe a widening gap between the stated objectives of the plan and the reality on the ground, including the inability of the Board of Peace—the body tasked with overseeing the ceasefire and reconstruction—to exert any meaningful pressure on the parties.

Coverage Comparison

Two outlets have covered the current state of the peace plan, with each emphasizing different obstacles to its success.

Dawn focuses on Israel's rejection of the agreement, which it describes as part of a pattern of Israeli behavior that has historically undermined peace initiatives. The outlet stresses that Hamas had agreed to disarm last month, alongside staged Israeli withdrawal, and that US President Trump had earlier reacted to the news of the development, calling it 'monumental'. The report portrays Israel as the primary impediment, citing its history of sabotaging peace efforts and its tendency to treat Palestinian concessions as normal while making none of its own.

Al Jazeera centers its coverage on the Board of Peace, the body created under the plan, which it says has failed to achieve progress. According to Al Jazeera, the Board lacks the necessary powers, funding, enforcement mechanisms, and legal standing to fulfill its mandate. Its report argues that the Board has become little more than a diplomatic cover, providing the appearance of progress while Israeli military operations and civilian casualties continue. Al Jazeera criticizes the Board for its silence on what it characterizes as Israeli colonial practices, including home demolitions and territorial expansion.

Both sources agree that the peace plan faces severe difficulties, but they assign responsibility differently. Dawn identifies Israel's rejection and its history of obstructing peace agreements as the main hurdle. Al Jazeera places the blame on the inadequacies and failures of the Board itself, implicitly implicating the United States' approach to peacekeeping.

Key Claims

The facts reported in both stories overlap on several key points. Dawn reports that US President Donald Trump has a Gaza peace plan, which the Israeli prime minister has rejected. It further states that Hamas pledged to surrender its weapons to a Palestinian committee, and that Trump described the development as "monumental". Dawn also reports that Israel's rejection of the plan is not a first instance but rather part of a history of Israeli attempts to sabotage peace initiatives.

Al Jazeera reports that the Board of Peace lacks the power, funding, and enforcement mechanisms to fulfill its mandate. The outlet also claims that Israel has continued demolishing Palestinian properties and moving its "Yellow Line"—a demarcation line—expanding its control to about 70 percent of Gaza's territory. According to Al Jazeera, the Board has taken no action to address these practices, nor has it issued any public statements condemning them. It also notes the Board is seeking to secure immunity from prosecution, has relied on a few million dollars placed in a private JP Morgan account, and is trying to give itself the right to confiscate Palestinian properties or use them 'free of charge'.

Al Jazeera further reports that Israel has killed more than 1,100 Palestinian civilians since the ceasefire began in October. This figure is not repeated in the Dawn report.

Both outlets mention the Board of Peace's role in the stalled process, but each presents the underlying causes differently: Dawn attributes the impasse to Israel's refusal to commit to the plan, while Al Jazeera emphasizes the structural failures of the Board itself.

Perspectives

Israel

The Israeli prime minister is reported as saying his military would not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas is "genuinely disarmed." Through this government statement, Israel's formal position is that no withdrawal is possible while Hamas retains any weapons. This stance is presented in both outlets as the direct trigger for the current deadlock.

Hamas

Hamas's agreement to hand over arms to an independent committee is reported, conditional on Israel's compliance with the ceasefire agreement. Hamas maintains it remains committed to the peace plan after accepting disarmament and is awaiting Israel to move in parallel. The rejection by Israel, as reported by Dawn, does not correspond to the reported Hamas stance.

The Board of Peace

A specialized body established under Article 9 of the 20-point peace plan is also a participant in the process, yet no named spokesperson is quoted in the reports. Its existence and its mandate are acknowledged, but its effectiveness is challenged by both outlets, with Al Jazeera providing the most detailed critique.