Israel PM Netanyahu unveils post-war Gaza plan; PA rejects it as attempt to 'prolong the genocide'
The plan differs from key US proposals that envision a revitalized Palestinian autonomous government governing both Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank as a step towards statehood.
FollowPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has proposed a plan wherein Israel would control security in a demilitarized Gaza Strip and play a role in civilian affairs after the conclusion of its war with Hamas. This marks the first time Netanyahu has formally presented a post-war vision. The plan differs from key US proposals that envision a revitalized Palestinian autonomous government governing both Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank as a step towards statehood.
The plan, released by the prime minister's office and presented to Cabinet ministers on Thursday, underscores Israel's determination to dismantle Hamas, the militant group that seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007. Despite polls indicating that a majority of Palestinians do not support Hamas, critics argue that Israel's objective of eradicating the group is deemed unachievable.
The plan proposes granting Israel's military freedom of action throughout Gaza post-war to neutralize security threats and suggests the establishment of a buffer zone within Gaza—an action likely to trigger objections from the US. Additionally, the plan also envisions Gaza being governed by local officials who it says would “not be identified with countries or entities that support terrorism and will not receive payment from them.”
In the past decades, Israel has made repeated attempts to establish hand-picked local Palestinian governing bodies, all of which have ultimately failed.
PA rejects Netanyahu's post-war plan
The Palestinian Authority's Foreign Ministry on Friday strongly denounced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposals for post-war Gaza, saying it considers them to be “an official reoccupation of the Gaza Strip and the imposition of Israeli control over it.”
In an online statement, the PA's foreign ministry criticizes the set of principles outlined by Netanyahu to the security cabinet last night concerning the governance of Gaza following the conflict.
Rejecting the plans, the PA foreign ministry slams them as “a plan to prolong the genocide against our people and an attempt to gain more time to implement the displacement plans.”
"It is a blatant maneuver to intercept and thwart American and international efforts made to link stopping the war and releasing prisoners and hostages to resolving the conflict and embodying the Palestinian state on the ground," the statement added.
The PA's foreign ministry calls upon the United States and other Western nations to acknowledge Palestine as an independent state, facilitate its accession to UN membership, and convene an international peace conference.
The aim is to "end the occupation and enable our people to exercise their right to self-determination freely and with dignity.”
