- Defense Minister urges Netanyahu to decide on Gaza engagement
- Netanyahu unveils post-war plans for Gaza, faces criticism
- Discord within Israeli cabinet over Gaza strategy and reconstruction
According to the evidence, the Israeli prime minister does not.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant expressed his discontent and urged Benjamin Netanyahu to “make a decision” on Thursday, further stating that he did not believe Israel’s engagement in Gaza should be unrestricted.
Why is “an Israeli plan” necessary?
Israel exercises complete authority over all facets of Palestinian existence, encompassing not only Gaza but also the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
As time passes, Gaza continues to lose its standing structures, which begs the issue of how much longer the Israeli military can sustain its vicious assaults. What strategy does it intend to employ once it becomes weary of repeatedly bombarding the small, besieged enclave?
Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi criticized Netanyahu on Saturday for the lack of political preparations for a post-conflict settlement.
Until we initiate a diplomatic process to establish an alternative governing body in the Gaza Strip apart from Hamas, it will likely remain necessary to repeatedly initiate campaigns aimed at dismantling Hamas’s infrastructure.
He referred to the legendary tyrant and ruler of Ephyra, Sisyphus, who the gods sentenced to an eternity of rolling a boulder downhill while pushing it uphill, saying, “It will be a Sisyphean task.”
Consequently, has Netanyahu formulated a strategy?
On May 3, Netanyahu published some rather dramatic postwar plans for Gaza on the internet.
The proposed strategies would spoil the Palestinian population in Gaza, where Israel has already claimed over 35,000 lives in this conflict.
Outlined were a vast investment, free ports, solar energy, electric vehicle production, and the populace benefiting from the recently discovered Gaza gas fields.
It would take three stages between 2035 and an indeterminate “victory date.”
According to the plan and Netanyahu’s radio interviews, Palestinians living in Gaza would carry out the initiative under the supervision of a coalition of Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain, Jordan, and Morocco.
From a political standpoint, once Gaza has been “deradicalized” and the trauma of war has been “forgotten,” it would recognize Israel in accordance with the Abrahamic Accords, joining the occupied West Bank, which is presently nominally administered by the Palestinian Authority.
Israel would maintain the prerogative to respond to any perceived “security threats” emanating from Gaza.
If successful, the Prime Minister’s office could “roll out across Syria, Yemen, and Lebanon.
Was there anyone who enjoyed it?
On Sunday,, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, harshly criticized Benjamin Netanyahu, stating unequivocally that he had not sought input from Abu Dhabi regarding his strategies.
Others have not yet provided a comment. Egypt, Morocco, and the UAE, according to news reports, are evaluating US proposals to deploy a peacekeeping force to Gaza following Washington’s recognition of Palestine as a state.
From a domestic standpoint, both Benny Gantz and Gallant, who are both members of the war cabinet, have been unimpressed with Netanyahu’s plan and his assertions thus far that “a comprehensive defeat of Hamas” is a prerequisite for deliberating on the “day after.”
Their statements may indicate a degree of schism among Israel’s political leadership, as they reflect frustration.
Is Netanyahu’s strategy even feasible?
The reconstruction of Gaza, according to an estimate by the United Nations on May 2, would be the most extensive post-conflict undertaking since the conclusion of World War II in 1945.
According to the United Nations Development Programme, they have destroyed approximately 70% of the total housing stock. Rebuilding would require a minimum of $40–$50 billion, in addition to the psychological distress endured by the inhabitants of the enclave.
The absence of estimated costs for Netanyahu’s initiatives poses a challenge to their evaluation.
Does this strategy enjoy the support of Israel’s regular cabinet?
Not at all.
Discord and discordance plague Netanyahu’s disorganized coalition cabinet, and not every member is satisfied with their prime minister.
Certain factions advocate for negotiations aimed at ensuring the safety of the remaining captives in Gaza. On the other hand, some advocate for the occupation and complete destruction of Rafah, the final city in the southern region, even if it means upholding the government.
Then, is there an alternative notion?
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Netanyahu’s national security minister and a far-right provocateur, attended a rally in Sderot, near Gaza, on Tuesday.
In order to fully resolve the Gaza issue and prevent its recurrence, two actions are required: Firstly, return to Gaza! Remain at home! Welcome to our sacred territory!
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“Secondly, promote the voluntary evacuation of the inhabitants of Gaza…”This is moral! It is logical! It is accurate! Indeed, this is the truth! It is the Torah and the sole pathway to follow. “Moreover, it is humane,” he confirmed.
Approximately 50,000 Israeli settlers and ultranationalists had reportedly convened to hear Ben-Gvir and other hardliners, including some members of Netanyahu’s Likud party, advocate for the “voluntary migration” of Gaza’s population in order to settle it by Israelis, according to the event organizers.
In January, Ben-Gvir, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and several Likud party members participated in the Settlement Brings Security and Victory far-right conference. At this conference, Ben-Gvir advocated for the “voluntary migration” of its people and the reconstruction of illegal Israeli settlements in Gaza, which were withdrawn after 2005.
