Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu watches as the U.S. Secretary of State makes statements to the media after their meeting at the Kirya, the headquarters of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, in Tel Aviv on October 12, 2023. Blinken came as a sign of solidarity after Hamas meeting There was a surprise stampede in Israel over the weekend, an AFP correspondent traveling with him reported. He is expected to visit Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Washington closes alliance with its ally, which has launched a devastating airstrike against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his first official plan for the Gaza Strip’s postwar future, calling for a continued Israeli military presence in the enclave and the maintenance of a security buffer zone – a move at odds with the wishes of its closely allied Washington.
In a sparse document released overnight and translated by NBC News, Netanyahu outlined the previously stated immediate goals of demilitarizing and eradicating the Hamas government and rescuing Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian militant group since the Oct. 7 terror attacks be held.
In the medium term, Israel wants to “maintain its operational freedom of action throughout the Gaza Strip without any time limit” and maintain a security buffer within the besieged area.
“The security area created in the Gaza Strip on the border with Israel will remain in place as long as there is a security need for it,” the document says.
The United States, a staunch supporter of Israel’s right to self-defense and a supplier of arms throughout the conflict, has previously denied both the possibility of reoccupying the Gaza Strip and reducing its footprint.
“There must be no reduction in the size of the Gaza Strip. That remains our position and will continue to be our position. “So if there were a proposed buffer zone within Gaza, that would be a violation of that principle, and that would be something we would do … that we oppose,” U.S. State Department spokesman Matt Miller said in a statement December.
Israel is also calling for a “southern barrier” to the border between the Gaza enclave and Egypt – the only area of land not controlled by Israel – to prevent the buildup of “terrorist forces” among the Palestinians while the Strip remains “apart.” “What is necessary to maintain civil order will be completely demilitarized.”
Without mentioning the Palestinian Authority, which was expelled after Hamas seized power in 2007, Netanyahu’s proposal calls for the Gaza Strip to be run by locals who are “not identified with states or organizations that support terror,” and that Israel participates in civil issues, including education and religion in the predominantly Sunni Muslim area. Any reconstruction work can only begin indefinitely after these “de-radicalization” and demilitarization goals have been achieved, the document says.
Netanyahu is also calling for the U.N. aid agency to be shut down after accusing some of its members of involvement in the Oct. 7 terror offensive. The UN is investigating claims against the aid agency, which has facilitated the distribution of food and resources in the Gaza Strip and whose schools double as refugee shelters. After several donor countries stopped funding due to the allegations, UNRWA faces the possibility of suspending its operations in early March, a spokesperson for the organization previously told CNBC.
It is unclear whether the document, which contains little detail, was submitted to Netanyahu’s war cabinet for a vote. The proposal, on the one hand, appeals to the prime minister’s right-wing support base at home and, on the other hand, highlights the conflict between this and his government. Netanyahu has in the past said there are no plans to re-occupy the Gaza Strip or deport Palestinian civilians or re-occupy the Gaza Strip, while some far-right members of his government, notably Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have called for the expulsion of this population, according to Reuters.
The document also risks deepening disagreements with Washington, which has supported Israel even as the country faces scrutiny at the International Court of Justice over genocide allegations made by South Africa.
The White House has long envisioned a two-state solution to the Israel-Hamas conflict, which has killed 1,200 people in Israel and over 29,000 people in Israel as of Oct. 7, according to Israeli authorities and Hamas figures reported by Reuters Gaza Strip took his life – Gaza Ministry of Health. This outcome would create an independent Israeli and Palestinian state, likely led by the Palestinian Authority, and provide security guarantees for Israel. Washington is also persistently seeking normalization of relations between Israel and Middle Eastern countries, pushing for reconciliation with regional ally and heavyweight Saudi Arabia earlier this year.
The US State Department did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment.
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2024-02-23 13:39:36
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