Trump’s Gaza Plan Met With Fierce Condemnation From Leftist Groups
On September 29, the Revolutionary Communist International Tendency (RCIT) and its Israeli/Palestinian section, the Internationalist Socialist League (ISL), issued a fiery denunciation of U.S. President Donald Trump’s newly unveiled proposal to end the Gaza War. Far from a roadmap to peace, the groups argued, the plan represents an imperialist blueprint to dismantle Palestinian resistance and cement Gaza’s subjugation under Western and Zionist oversight.
Trump’s initiative, presented as a “comprehensive peace plan,” calls for a ceasefire, a staged Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and a large-scale rebuilding program. Yet its core provisions revolve around what Washington describes as “demilitarization” and “deradicalization.” Hamas and other militant factions would be required to disarm in exchange for amnesty or safe passage abroad. Oversight of the territory would rest with an unelected “transitional governance committee” composed of Palestinian technocrats and international advisors, supervised by a “Board of Peace” chaired personally by Trump.
Among the prominent names floated for the board is former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, a figure reviled across much of the Middle East for his role in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Security on the ground, meanwhile, would be enforced by an “International Stabilization Force,” envisioned as a multinational coalition of troops from Arab and Muslim states aligned with Washington.
For the RCIT and ISL, such a plan amounts to little more than colonial subjugation wrapped in the rhetoric of peace. “This means the Palestinians would become defenseless in face of the permanent aggression and expansionism of the Zionist state,” the statement declared, drawing comparisons to infamous massacres in Sabra and Shatila during Lebanon’s civil war.
A Protectorate in All but Name
The RCIT argues the proposed governance structure strips Palestinians of national self-determination, handing their future to “a small clique of Western and Zionist figures.” The unelected administration, it said, resembles a colonial protectorate designed to suppress dissent rather than empower citizens. The eventual handover to the Palestinian Authority, conditional on “reforms” demanded by Israel and its allies, is described as little more than the installation of a compliant proxy regime.
The groups point to the symbolism of Trump and Blair at the helm as proof of imperial ambitions. “It is symbolic that such a ‘Board of Peace’ should be headed by Trump, the billionaire war-monger who bombed Iran just a few months ago, and the notorious war criminal Blair,” the statement charged.
Divided Responses
Unsurprisingly, the plan has won backing from Israel, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed it as “a realistic step toward stability.” European governments have likewise welcomed the proposal, while several Arab leaders praised Trump’s “sincere” efforts in a joint communiqué. Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority, also signaled support.
But among Palestinian resistance factions, reactions have been sharply critical. Ziad al-Nakhala of Palestinian Islamic Jihad denounced the deal as an “American-Zionist conspiracy.” Hamas, whose fighters have borne the brunt of Gaza’s two-year war, has yet to formally respond, though it faces intense pressure from international mediators.
“Peace” or Pacification?
For the RCIT and ISL, the answer is clear: Trump’s plan is not a peace initiative but an instrument of pacification. The organizations argue that international forces stationed in Gaza would serve primarily to secure Israel and suppress Palestinian resistance, just as the Palestinian Authority’s U.S.-trained security forces have done in the West Bank.
The statement called on Palestinian groups to reject the deal outright and continue their struggle “under conditions similar to the pre-Oslo period.” Beyond Gaza, it urged Arab and Muslim populations to pressure their governments into abandoning the plan, and demanded that global solidarity movements intensify boycotts of Israeli goods and institutions.
Rejection of the Two-State Framework
The RCIT reiterated its longstanding opposition to the “two-state solution,” describing it as a façade that would lock Palestinians into a “demilitarized mini-Bantustan” dependent on Israel and foreign aid. Such an arrangement, the group argued, would deny refugees the right of return and effectively ratify the dispossession of 1948 and 1967.
Instead, the RCIT advocates for a “free and red Palestine from the river to the sea”—a secular, democratic state guaranteeing equal rights for Jews and Arabs alike, but built on the dismantling of the Zionist state. This vision, it maintains, can only be realized through the fusion of Palestinian resistance with a broader Arab revolutionary movement against regional dictatorships and imperialist domination.
A Call to Action
“Down with the Western-Zionist attempts to defeat and colonialize Gaza! Solidarity with the resistance!” the statement concluded. The groups called for dockworkers worldwide to refuse handling Israeli cargo, for mass protests against Western governments complicit in the plan, and for a global campaign of boycott and resistance.
Whether Trump’s proposal gains traction remains to be seen. Yet the ferocity of opposition from radical leftist movements underscores the depth of Palestinian mistrust toward externally imposed solutions—particularly those crafted in Washington. For critics, the plan represents not peace but the entrenchment of a colonial order under the guise of reconstruction.
