Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
International diplomatic efforts to halt two of the world’s most destructive ongoing conflicts faced serious challenges this week, as renewed violence shook Gaza and early details of a controversial new US peace proposal for Ukraine drew sharp criticism from Kyiv and its European partners. The developments underscore the fragility of ceasefires and the deep divisions among global actors attempting to shape postwar political landscapes.
In Gaza, Israeli strikes killed at least 25 Palestinians on Wednesday, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, marking one of the deadliest days since a ceasefire took hold five weeks ago. The escalation unfolded just days after the UN Security Council endorsed a US plan aimed at reinforcing the truce and creating a transitional governance body for the territory.
Rescue teams reported heavy bombardment in Gaza City and Khan Younis shortly after sunset. Ten people were killed when a ministry of religious endowments building in the Zeitoun neighbourhood was struck, with video showing workers recovering bodies from rubble. Photos taken at the scene documented three children among the dead. Additional strikes in Shejaiya, including a drone attack on a group of civilians and a tank shell hitting a family home, added to the casualty count. In Khan Younis, 13 more people were killed, including three inside a UN-run sports club.
The Israel Defense Forces said the attacks were retaliation for gunfire directed at Israeli troops earlier in the day, accusing Hamas of violating the ceasefire. Hamas rejected the allegation, calling the strikes a dangerous escalation intended to unravel the truce and warning that the violence could jeopardize the UN-backed peace process. The Palestinian group again insisted it would not disarm without a recognized Palestinian state, while Washington accused Hamas of stalling diplomacy.
The renewed fighting complicates implementation of the UN resolution that authorized a temporary International Stabilisation Force and established a Board of Peace chaired by US President Donald Trump. Israel’s ambassador to the UN said disarmament of Hamas remained essential, while Trump called the resolution historically significant.
The Gaza conflict, which began after Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023, has killed more than 69,500 Palestinians, according to local authorities. Israel says three of its soldiers have been killed during the ceasefire period. The regional picture grew more complex Wednesday when Israel also struck alleged Hezbollah weapons sites in southern Lebanon.
As tensions escalated in the Middle East, a separate US effort to bring the war in Ukraine to an end triggered diplomatic shockwaves across Europe. A 28-point peace proposal drafted by the Trump administration and delivered to President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday by US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll suggests that Ukraine could be asked to cede the eastern Donbas region, freeze current battle lines in other contested territories, curtail elements of its military capability, and address issues such as the status of the Russian language and the Russian Orthodox Church.
A Western official familiar with the draft said the proposal also includes US security guarantees intended to prevent further Russian expansion. The plan echoes ideas discussed during failed 2022 talks in Istanbul, many of which Kyiv rejected as incompatible with its sovereignty.
US officials stressed that the plan is still under development and that its most contentious points are not final. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described it as a list of ideas rather than a finished proposal. Still, the reported provisions raised alarms in Kyiv and across European capitals, where diplomats said the plan appeared heavily skewed toward Moscow’s maximalist demands.
European envoys said they were caught off guard by the proposal, with several noting that even Washington’s own diplomatic corps seemed unaware of its details until they leaked. One diplomat described the effort as “Groundhog Day,” repeating terms Ukraine had already rejected as politically and militarily untenable. Others warned that forcing Kyiv to surrender fortified areas would embolden Moscow and jeopardize European security.
The Ukrainian presidency confirmed receipt of the draft and said Zelensky emphasized principles vital to the Ukrainian people. Both sides agreed to continue working on the plan, which the US hopes will set the stage for a broader peace agreement. Zelensky is expected to speak with Trump in the coming days.
While US officials said the Army was selected to deliver the proposal because of its close working relationship with Ukraine, the unconventional diplomatic channel further contributed to confusion within the international community.
The Kremlin denied participating in any new peace negotiations, reiterating that nothing had changed since Putin’s meeting with Trump in Alaska in August.
Together, the events in Gaza and Ukraine highlight the volatile nature of today’s geopolitical landscape, where ceasefires remain precarious and peace proposals risk deepening divisions even as they aim to resolve conflict. As global powers search for diplomatic breakthroughs, the gap between battlefield realities and political aspirations continues to widen, with civilians in both war zones bearing the immediate cost.
