When the outlook for the days ahead seems so dire, it can be hard to focus on a "day-after plan.” Nonetheless, the Joe Biden administration is working with Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to develop a long-term Israeli-Palestinian peace plan. Some Palestinian representatives are also reported to be involved in the discussions.
As with so much else emanating from the White House in relation to the conflict in Gaza, the details of the plan — or even the discussions around it — are fuzzy. But it is reportedly likely to include a timeline for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state. The Washington Post says the plan "could be announced as early as the next several weeks.”
There is little reason to be optimistic that it will get very far. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior figures in his government have made it clear that a two-state solution is a nonstarter: If anything, their opposition to a Palestinian state has hardened since Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack in southern Israel.
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