The Palestinian Authority has sharply criticised a “day after” plan for Gaza introduced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling it “destined to fail”.
“If the world desires safety and stability within the area, it should finish the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and recognise the unbiased Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital,” Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was quoted as saying on Friday by the Palestinian state information company Wafa.
Netanyahu’s plan is his first official proposal for what comes after the warfare in Gaza – by which Israel has killed greater than 29,000 Palestinians.
In keeping with the doc, introduced to members of Israel’s safety cupboard on Thursday, Israel would preserve safety and army management over all land west of Jordan, together with the occupied West Financial institution and Gaza – territories the place the Palestinians need to create their unbiased state.
Within the long-term targets listed, Netanayhu additionally rejected the “unilateral recognition” of a Palestinian state. He stated a settlement with the Palestinians will solely be achieved by means of direct negotiations between the 2 sides – but it surely didn’t title who the Palestinian get together could be.
In response, Abu Rudeineh rejected any effort to separate governance in Gaza from the West Financial institution.
“Gaza will solely be a part of the unbiased Palestinian state … Any plans on the contrary are destined to fail,” he stated. “Israel is not going to reach makes an attempt to change the geographic and demographic actuality within the Gaza Strip.”
“Netanyahu’s proposed plans goal to perpetuate Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and stop the institution of a Palestinian state,” Abu Rudeineh added.
Gaza to be run by ‘native officers’
The warfare in Gaza has revived worldwide calls – together with from Israel’s essential backer, america – for the so-called two-state answer as the final word objective for resolving the decades-long Israel-Palestinian battle. Nevertheless, many senior Israeli politicians oppose the creation of a Palestinian state.
Whereas on Gaza, Netanyahu’s plan emphasised that the warfare would proceed till Israel had achieved all of its introduced targets: the dismantlement of army capabilities and infrastructure operated by Hamas and Islamic Jihad; the return of all captives taken on October 7; and the elimination of all safety threats originating from Gaza.
The enclave will then be run by “native officers” who usually are not tied to “nations or entities that assist terrorism”.
Commenting on the plan, Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Marwan Bishara stated that the identification of those officers was unknown.
“We don’t know who they’re, he [Netanyahu] doesn’t know both … I don’t assume they exist. There have been makes an attempt within the Seventies and Eighties to create such entities among the many Palestinians and it failed very quickly,” he stated.
Additionally it is unclear whether or not representatives of the Palestinian Authority (PA) will likely be concerned in controlling Gaza.
Reporting from occupied east Jerusalem, Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut highlighted that, in his draft plan, Netanyahu didn’t point out the PA’s function.
“He [Netanyahu] didn’t say this formally in his plan however used broader terminology in all probability to succeed in a consensus amongst his right-wing authorities,” she stated.
“Keep in mind the Israeli prime minister is beneath immense strain from the People who need to see a revitalised PA to take over as soon as the warfare is over. However Netanyahu has been quiet defiant to come back in and take over Gaza,” Salhut added.
The Israeli prime minister’s plan additionally outlined demilitarisation and deradicalisation as targets to be achieved within the medium time period in Gaza. It doesn’t elaborate on when that middleman stage would start or how lengthy it could final, however says that the “the Israeli military will preserve indefinitely the liberty to intervene in Gaza to forestall the resurgence of terror exercise”.
It additionally proposes that Israel have a presence on the Gaza-Egypt border within the south of the enclave and says that Israel ought to cooperate with Egypt and the US in that space to forestall smuggling makes an attempt, together with on the Rafah crossing.
Plans for UNRWA’s closure
Lastly, Netanyahu’s plan additionally says that the UN aid company for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, could be shut.
Israel has lengthy tried to eliminate the UN company, which enshrines the precise of Palestinian refugees to return residence. Israel has just lately made claims that UNRWA has hyperlinks to Hamas, a declare that the physique has fiercely denied, and that US intelligence assessments have solid doubt on, in line with studies.
Tamara Alrifai, UNRWA’s director of exterior relations and communications advised Al Jazeera that makes an attempt to do away with UNRWA ought to be seen alongside efforts to take away the longer term prospect of a Palestinian state, highlighting Netanyahu’s show of a map of Israel that included the occupied West Financial institution, Gaza, and occupied East Jerusalem throughout an handle on the UN Normal Meeting in September.
“A map which incorporates and encompasses all of the Palestinian territories the place UNRWA works. I don’t discover this a coincidence,” she stated.
In keeping with Al Jazeera’s Bishara, this plan just isn’t official and is one which Netanyahu is floating to the cupboard, to be able to leak it to the media and to do a lot of different issues.
“Firstly there may be that strategy in direction of his personal base. He’s telling his radicals within the authorities and public that he stays steadfast … Secondly, I believe it’s fairly silly to be trustworthy, as a result of we all know the Israelis have tried this [plan to take control of Gaza in some form or the other] earlier than and it by no means labored,” Bishara stated.
“Lastly, it [the plan] is so sadist. We’re within the midst of the fifth month of genocide towards the Palestinian folks. Nonetheless, the Israeli prime minister insists they may preserve management … that type of sadism is unprecedented.”