US-Backed Gaza Peace Council Plans Broad Legal Immunity and Free Land Ownership
The "Peace Council," established by former US President Donald Trump to govern the Gaza Strip, is reportedly planning to grant itself extensive legal immunity and free ownership of public lands, according to a draft resolution obtained by the British Guardian on Sunday. The draft, described as "sensitive but unclassified," spans four pages and proposes comprehensive legal protections for all Peace Council members, its administrative branch, the Office of the High Representative (OHR), Palestinian technocrats, international military forces, and foreign contractors operating in Gaza. The immunity would shield them from arrest, detention, or legal proceedings in Gaza courts or other local bodies, though it remains unclear if this immunity extends to international courts. The draft also grants Trump, as Council chairman, the authority to revoke an individual's immunity with majority Council approval.
The Council's executive body, consisting of seven members, includes Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law; special envoy Steve Witkoff; White House Chief of Staff Suzy Wiles; and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. This development follows reports from two weeks ago that the Trump administration blocked an Israeli military operation planned for Gaza, expressing displeasure and requesting the plan be shelved. Instead, the Israeli Defense Forces have been quietly implementing a "creeping annexation and quiet" strategy in Gaza without public confrontation with international mediators.
A foreign diplomatic source told Israeli News 13 that this approach is possible due to the mediators' frustration with Hamas's failure to honor commitments made to the Trump administration and Arab mediators. Earlier this month, a Hamas delegation led by leader Khalil al-Hayya visited Egypt to discuss the second phase of Trump's peace plan, which includes disarming Hamas, a demand the terror group firmly rejects. Palestinian sources say Hamas's refusal stems from ongoing Israeli targeted killings of its leaders, with the group only willing to disarm once a Palestinian state is established.
