Christian Aid has called for Palestinians and Israelis to be treated as equals in any latest peace framework for Gaza following the announcement earlier this week of a latest peace plan led by US President Donald Trump and former British Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair.
The 20-point proposal, backed by Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, lays out a roadmap for a ceasefire, hostage exchanges, Israeli troop withdrawals, and reconstruction.
William Bell, Christian Aid’s Head of Middle East Policy & Advocacy, welcomed the commitment to help access and interfaith dialogue but said that true peace would remain out of reach without justice for Palestinians.
He said: “The conflict in Gaza has taken a devastating toll on the lives of individuals in Gaza, witnessed by our partners who’ve seen death and destruction on a scale of unimaginable proportions.
“Christian Aid has consistently called on the international community to do all the pieces in its power to force Israel to permit aid into Gaza, halt its brutal military campaign and implement a ceasefire that will each end the suffering and see the hostages released.
“The plan proposed by the White House answers a few of those calls, along with the importance of interfaith dialogue. There can be a firm commitment to make sure nobody is forced to go away Gaza and those that want to accomplish that may have the liberty to return.”
The framework demands Hamas halt its military campaign, disarm, and release all hostages inside 72 hours.
In exchange, Israel would free 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life terms and 1,700 detainees held because the 2023 escalation.
Israeli forces would begin withdrawing, though they’d retain a security buffer zone inside Gaza — a degree prone to face resistance.
A technocratic council of Palestinian and international experts would manage each day governance, supervised by a “Board of Peace” led by President Trump and joined by other world leaders.
Sir Tony Blair, who has been in talks with Washington and regional powers, has been invited to co-head that board.
Praising the initiative, Blair described it as “daring and intelligent … an enormous signal of support and confidence in the longer term of Gaza.”
The plan also guarantees a large-scale reconstruction drive, managed by the UN and Red Crescent, with a “Trump economic development plan” pledging jobs, infrastructure, and renewed hope for Gaza’s population.
International reactions to the plan vary but for Bell at Christian Aid, the message stays clear: “A sustainable peace that secures justice, dignity and prosperity for all will not be possible until the occupation of all Palestinian territory – including the West Bank and East Jerusalem – is ended, full accountability be implemented and Palestinians and Israelis are treated as equals.
“The Palestinian people must due to this fact be lively participants in peace, not bystanders. That would require a clearer path to the international recognition of a state of Palestine.”
 Christian Aid has called for Palestinians and Israelis to be treated as equals in any latest peace framework for Gaza following the announcement...){kind=link}