Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was never on board when US President Donald Trump announced his 20-point Gaza peace plan, which led to the Oct. 10 ceasefire agreement. He has resisted pressure to honor Israel’s commitments under phase one of the plan: allowing the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid and stopping the killing of Palestinians in Gaza. More than 450 Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed since the ceasefire came into effect. And Israel has prevented the entry of the caravans and shelter needed to protect tens of thousands of displaced Gazans from the bitter cold that has swept the region for weeks. Infants have died of cold and exposure as a result.

Netanyahu was equally unhappy with Trump’s idea of establishing a “Board of Peace” to oversee the implementation of his plan, including the naming of a Palestinian national committee to run the enclave and inviting international troops to serve as a stabilization force in Gaza.

When Trump unveiled the four-tier structure of his Board of Peace this month — with an executive committee, a Palestinian national committee, a US general to head the stabilization force and a high commissioner to liaise between the Palestinian technocratic body and the executive committee — Netanyahu found himself cornered. Trump had stripped him of leverage regarding the fate of the Palestinian enclave. The US president also announced it was time to move to the second phase of the plan, which would entail Israel’s gradual withdrawal from Gaza, in addition to disarming Hamas.

But the real challenge for the Board of Peace will be forcing Netanyahu to yield and embrace the plan and its requirements fully and unconditionally. One litmus test is the opening of the Rafah border crossing. Trump sent his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to Israel earlier this week to push this step forward. Netanyahu resisted, reiterating that for the crossing to open, Hamas must hand over the body of the last Israeli captive.

The real challenge will be forcing Netanyahu to embrace the plan and its requirements fully and unconditionally

Osama Al-Sharif

Within 24 hours, the Israeli military found the hostage’s remains in an area under its control in Gaza. Netanyahu bowed — but not before setting new conditions. He would allow the Rafah crossing to open not for aid trucks, but only for pedestrians to travel between Gaza and Egypt as part of a “limited reopening.”

Meanwhile, Israel continues to refuse entry to the 15-member Palestinian committee tasked with assuming responsibilities in the beleaguered Strip.

Whatever the outcome of Kushner and Witkoff’s trip to Israel, the general impression is that Netanyahu will continue fighting to have a final say on what happens next in Gaza. While the two US envoys met with Netanyahu, Israeli shelling killed at least three Palestinians in various parts of the Strip. The Israeli army has also continued expanding areas under its control beyond the so-called Yellow Line. It is believed to occupy nearly 60 percent of Gaza. The areas under its control have been flattened, while the army is digging deep trenches to prevent Palestinians from returning to what used to be their homes.

Trump’s Board of Peace has sent tremors across the globe because it has been given a mandate that extends beyond Gaza. Most of America’s Western allies have declined the invitation to join. The Arab and Muslim nations that have joined have done so after a careful assessment of the costs and benefits. Being on board regarding Gaza’s future is better than opting out. Working with Trump and his aides from within far outweighs being locked out of the deliberations and discussions.

The Palestinian Authority has not been represented at any level of Trump’s plan and is unlikely to have a role in the near future, pending its much-touted reform, which is a red herring. As much as the PA needs genuine reform and accountability, Israel will never approve of a Palestinian body that seeks to fulfill the ambition of a two-state solution.

Netanyahu is always planning ahead, working to impose new conditions that will keep him in the game

Osama Al-Sharif

Even so, Netanyahu’s recent political maneuvers do not bode well for the Board of Peace and Trump’s peace plan. He remains the biggest obstacle to ending the carnage, opening border crossings and allowing much-needed aid and supplies to enter freely.

Ironically, Netanyahu and his far-right partners still espouse a plan to forcibly remove Gazans from the enclave, retain open-ended military control of the Strip and prevent reconstruction efforts.

The opening of the Rafah crossing will put Trump’s plan and his board to the ultimate test. Already, Netanyahu is seeking to derail that effort. He now plans to establish another crossing point, totally controlled by Israel, next to Rafah inside Gaza. Netanyahu is always planning ahead, working to impose new conditions that will keep him in the game.

At some point, the US president must realize that only one man stands in the way of truly ending the war, easing the plight of Gazans and allowing the implementation of his plan. That man is Netanyahu, whose self-interest requires that the Gaza crisis continues so that he can keep his coalition alive and avoid accountability for the debacle of Oct. 7, 2023.

Netanyahu will seek ways to delay moving to the second phase. He still rejects any role for Turkiye and Qatar on the executive board. He wants the final say on what enters Gaza and who is allowed to return. He will resist the deployment of foreign troops and find excuses not to withdraw his army a single inch.

Such clear disdain for what Trump is trying to achieve should be evident to the White House by now. For Trump’s plan to proceed, Netanyahu must commit openly and without delay, regardless of his personal calculations. Only one man can force him to do so: the US president.

• Osama Al-Sharif is a journalist and political commentator based in Amman. X: @plato010