Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has unveiled a post-conflict plan for Gaza, marking his first official proposal for the territory’s future after the ongoing war with Hamas.
The plan, presented to Israel’s security cabinet, outlines Israel’s intention to maintain security control over all land west of the Jordan River, including the West Bank and Gaza Strip, areas crucial for the Palestinians’ aspirations of statehood.
In the document, Netanyahu dismisses unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, emphasizing the necessity of direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians for any settlement.
He also stresses the medium-term goals of demilitarization and deradicalization in Gaza, without specifying the timeline or process. However, he conditions Gaza’s reconstruction on its complete demilitarization.
Netanyahu’s proposal includes a plan for Israel to oversee the Gaza-Egypt border in the southern part of the enclave, collaborating with Egypt and the United States to prevent smuggling, particularly at the Rafah crossing.
He suggests working with non-terrorist-affiliated local representatives to replace Hamas rule in Gaza while maintaining public order.
Additionally, Netanyahu advocates for the shutdown of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, proposing its replacement with other international aid organizations. According to the Prime Minister’s office, the document reflects broad public consensus on the goals of the conflict and the desire to replace Hamas rule with a civilian alternative.
However, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, dismissed Netanyahu’s plan, asserting that any attempt to alter Gaza’s geographic and demographic realities is destined to fail.
Abu Rudeineh reiterated the Palestinian call for an end to Israel’s occupation and the recognition of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
The conflict in Gaza has reignited international discussions about the two-state solution, although some Israeli politicians oppose it. Despite longstanding support for the two-state solution, progress toward Palestinian statehood has been limited since the Oslo Accords in the 1990s.
