- Netanyahu criticises Palestinian Authority
- Gaza demilitarisation proposed
- UNRWA closure suggested
“Destined to fail” is how the Palestinian Authority vehemently criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “day after” plan for Gaza.
“The international community must recognise the independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital and end the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories if it wishes to ensure stability and security in the region,” Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was quoted as saying on Friday by the Palestinian state news agency Wafa.
Netanyahu’s initial formal proposition addresses the post-Gaza era, during which Israel has inflicted casualties exceeding 29,000 Palestinians.
As per the document that was disclosed to the security cabinet of Israel on Thursday, Israel would retain military and security authority over the entire region west of Jordan, encompassing the occupied West Bank and Gaza. These areas are designated by the Palestinians as their sovereign state.
Dispute Over Palestinian Statehood Plans
Netanyahu also included the rejection of “unilateral recognition” of a Palestinian state in the list of long-term objectives. It was not specified which Palestinian party would participate in the direct negotiations, but he stated that direct negotiations are the only way to reach a settlement with the Palestinians.
Abu Rudeineh vehemently opposed any endeavour to establish a distinct governing authority in the West Bank and Gaza.
“Only a portion of the autonomous Palestinian state will be Gaza… Any contrary plans are doomed to fail,” he declared. “Efforts by Israel to alter the demographic and geographical reality of the Gaza Strip will fail.”
Abu Rudeineh further stated, “Netanyahu’s proposed plans seek to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state and maintain Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.”
John Kirby, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, added that the White House had been “consistently clear with our Israeli counterparts.” This clarity was regarding the requirements for Gaza in the aftermath of the conflict.
Kirby stated, “The Palestinian people ought to have a voice and a vote… via a revitalised Palestinian Authority. Our stance is against any reduction in the dimensions of Gaza… we abstain from supporting the coerced expulsion of Palestinians from the region, and naturally, we do not wish for Hamas to dominate or rule Gaza.”
‘Local officials’ will govern Gaza
Global calls for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine issue have increased after the Gaza War. This includes demands from the United States, which is Israel’s primary supporter. Many prominent Israeli politicians, nevertheless, are opposed to the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Netanyahu, while in Gaza, emphasised that the war would continue until Israel accomplished all of its declared objectives: the annihilation of Hamas and Islamic Jihad-operated military infrastructure and capabilities; the return of all captives captured on October 7; and the eradication of all security threats emanating from Gaza.
Subsequently, “local officials” unaffiliated with “countries or entities that support terrorism” will administer the enclave.
“Neither do we know who they are, nor does his counterpart, Netanyahu… They do not appear to exist. Attempts were made to establish such entities among the Palestinians in the 1970s and 1980s, but they failed miserably,” he explained.
Furthermore, the potential involvement of Palestinian Authority (PA) representatives in the supervision of Gaza remains uncertain.
“He [Netanyahu] likely used broader terminology to reach a consensus among his right-wing government, as he did not state this explicitly in his plan,” she explained.
“Keep in mind that the Israeli prime minister is under tremendous pressure from the United States, which desires a revitalised PA to assume power after the conflict is over. However, Netanyahu has been remarkably obstinate in his refusal to invade Gaza,” Salhut continued.
Gaza was also designated for demilitarisation and deradicalisation in the Israeli prime minister’s plan for the medium term. While the precise commencement and duration of the intermediary stage remain unspecified, the document asserts that “the Israeli army shall retain perpetual discretion to intervene in Gaza in order to avert the resurgence of terrorist activity.”
Additionally, it is suggested that Israel maintain a presence along the Gaza-Egypt border in the southern region of the enclave. Furthermore, it advises Israel to work in tandem with Egypt and the United States. This cooperation aims to thwart any attempts at smuggling, including at the Rafah crossing.
Initiatives to close UNRWA
Finally, UNRWA, the United Nations agency that provides aid to Palestinian refugees, would be shut down, according to Netanyahu’s proposal.
Israel has made persistent efforts to eradicate the United Nations agency that guarantees Palestinian refugees the right to repatriation. Recent Israeli claims that UNRWA has ties to Hamas have been vehemently denied by the organisation. According to reports, US intelligence assessments have cast doubt on these claims.
UNRWA’s director of external relations and communications, Tamara Alrifai, told Al Jazeera that efforts to eliminate UNRWA should be viewed in the same manner as efforts to eliminate the future possibility of a Palestinian state.
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“A comprehensive map that encompasses and incorporates every Palestinian territory in which UNRWA operates. It is not a mere coincidence,” she declared.
This plan is illegitimate and Netanyahu is reportedly circulating it among his cabinet members with the intention of disclosing it to the media and carrying out additional objectives.
“To begin with, there is his approach to his own base. He is reassuring his government and public radicals of his unwavering commitment… Secondly, I honestly find it quite foolish, given that we are well aware that the Israelis have attempted this [suspicious endeavour to seize control of Gaza] in the past without success,” Bishara stated.
“Finally, the plan is extremely sadistic. As we speak, the fifth month of genocide against the Palestinian people has begun. Despite this, the prime minister of Israel insists that they will retain control… Such sadistic behaviour is without precedent.”
