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4 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 1 OCTOBER 2025 JULIANA ZAMMIT jzammit@mediatoday.com.mt NEWS Malta welcomes Trump's Gaza peace plan as world leaders urge progress MALTA has pledged its sup- port for US President Donald Trump's new peace plan for Gaza, with Deputy Prime Min- ister Ian Borg urging all sides to work towards "a just peace based on the two-state solution and in- ternational law". "Malta welcomes efforts to end the war in Gaza and secure the release of hostages. We urge all parties to engage constructively toward a just peace based on the two-state solution and interna- tional law. Malta stands ready to support this path to stability," Borg said in a post on X Prime Minister Robert Abela also commented on the efforts, welcoming efforts for peace in Gaza. He said that "we call on all par- ties to commit to a just two-state solution that upholds the rights & aspirations of both peoples," Prime Minister Robert Abela said in a post on X on Tuesday. The peace plan, announced by Trump on Monday evening, calls for an immediate end to fighting, the release of 20 living Israeli hostages held by Hamas, as well as the remains of more than two dozen hostages, in ex- change for hundreds of detained Gazans. For every Israeli hostage whose remains are returned, Is- rael will release the remains of 15 dead Gazans. Israeli Prime Minister Benja- min Netanyahu has accepted the proposal, warning that Israel "will finish the job" if Hamas re- jects it or does not comply. He also stressed his opposition to a Palestinian state, saying, "It is not written in the agreement. We said we would strongly op- pose a Palestinian state." Netanyahu further claimed the deal would allow the Israel De- fence Forces (IDF) to remain in Gaza, which he said went against the published text of the White House proposal. The plan sets out an immediate ceasefire, freezing battle lines until conditions are met for a staged withdrawal. Once both sides agree, aid would flow di- rectly into Gaza. Future governance would be handled by a temporary "tech- nocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee" under the supervi- sion of a new international body, the Board of Peace, to be head- ed by Trump. Palestinians will not be forced to leave Gaza but encouraged to stay and "build a better Gaza", according to the US. The proposal has been wel- comed by the foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jor- dan, Turkey, Indonesia and Pa- kistan, who praised Trump's "leadership and sincere efforts to end the war in Gaza". European Council President Antonio Costa also expressed hope, saying he was "encouraged by Prime Minister Netanyahu's positive response" and urging all parties to "seize this moment to give peace a genuine chance". The Palestinian Authority called Trump's efforts "sincere and determined", while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Min- ister Giorgia Meloni said the plan "could represent a turning point" and pressed all sides to fi- nalise the agreement. US President Donald Trump and Malta Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg University academics call on government to withdraw planning bills ACADEMICS from the Univer- sity of Malta have called on the government to withdraw two planning reform bills and relat- ed legal notices, warning that the measures would give unprece- dented powers to the Planning Authority and curtail citizens' access to justice. In July, the government tabled Bills 143 and 144 in Parliament, describing them as an overhaul of Malta's planning system. Crit- ics argue the reforms would have sweeping consequences for daily life in Malta and Gozo, as well as for the environment, economy, culture and public health. Bill 143 would grant wide dis- cretionary powers to a small group within the Planning Au- thority, allowing them to amend zoning in local plans, override higher-level planning documents and disregard environmental and sanitary considerations. The legislation would also em- power the minister to reinstate expired permits and introduce the concept of "vested rights" in planning, which academics said could cause irreversible damage and hinder future safeguards. Bill 144 would significantly re- strict citizens' ability to appeal planning decisions, according to the statement. Among its provi- sions are requirements that ap- pellants cite only grounds raised during the application stage, new powers for the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal to al- ter approved applications dur- ing appeals, and the authority to impose unappealable fines for so-called "frivolous or vexatious" appeals. The bill would also strip courts of their ability to revoke irregularly issued permits. Alongside the bills, the govern- ment issued three legal notices that would effectively grant am- nesties for different forms of il- legal development. These cover regularisation inside and outside development zones, as well as a concession certificate recognis- ing the existence of illegal devel- opments without conferring full planning permission. Academics criticised both the content and process behind the reforms. They said the bills were tabled without public consulta- tion, and only a "perfunctory" process followed in August and September after widespread out- cry. No studies were presented to demonstrate the reforms' ne- cessity or assess their potential impacts, they added. "We urge government to with- draw the two bills and three legal notices and to issue a white paper on planning reform, employing a process of genuine consultation and studies that pave the way for the right laws and policies to be put in place for the public good," the statement read. The academics also endorsed the demands of the campaign group Ġustizzja għal Artna, in- cluding the immediate with- drawal of the bills and legal notices, and a moratorium on works approved by the Plan- ning Authority while appeals are pending. KARL AZZOPARDI kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt University of Malta (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)