US magazine says Mikati's peace plan may be Gaza’s best chance

A half-formed peace plan proposed by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati may be Gaza’s best chance, according to the American Foreign Policy Magazine.

Mikati proposed a three-step peace plan, but his plan needs Western backers, Foreign Policy said.

The first step would be a five-day pause in hostilities, during which Hamas would release some of its Israeli hostages and Israel would open its border crossings to more humanitarian aid. In the second step, negotiations would begin for a prisoner swap between Israel and Palestinians. The final step would be an international summit for a permanent two-state solution.

Mikati had told a British newspaper, the Economist, that Hezbollah and Hamas would lay down their weapons, if there was an agreement on international and comprehensive peace.

Western countries have failed to agree on a cease-fire. While some countries are demanding a humanitarian cease-fire, the U.S., Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Italy are only calling for "humanitarian pauses" as they support Israel's right to "self-defense." It's unlikely that those countries would support Mikati's plan. But Foreign Policy said that the world’s middle powers need to help Mikati build a plan for peace, although it is "far from perfect."

"There are limitations to Lebanon’s proposal. It offers little clarity about what would happen to Hamas and its fighters as the cease-fire is implemented," the magazine said.