Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu observes the US Secretary of State’s remarks to the media inside the Kirya, which houses the Israeli Defense Ministry, following their meeting in Tel Aviv on October 12, 2023. Blinken arrived in solidarity after Hamas attack surprise weekend attack in Israel, an AFP correspondent traveling with him said. He is expected to visit Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Washington closes ranks with his ally which has launched a ferocious air campaign against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
Jacquelyn Martin | Getty Images
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed his first official plan for the post-war future of the Gaza Strip, calling for Israel’s continued military presence in the enclave and the maintenance of a security buffer zone – a step antithetical to the wishes of most allies. close. Washington.
In a slim document released overnight and translated by NBC News, Netanyahu outlines his previously stated immediate goals of demilitarizing and eradicating the Hamas government, as well as rescuing Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian militant group after the Oct. 7 terror attacks.
In the medium term, Israel wishes to “maintain its operational freedom of action in the entire Gaza Strip, without time limits”, as well as maintain a security buffer within the besieged territory.
“The security perimeter created in the Gaza Strip on the border with Israel will remain as long as there is a security need,” the document states.
The United States, a staunch supporter of Israel’s right to self-defense and supplier of weapons throughout the conflict, has previously denied the possibility of both a reoccupation of the Gaza Strip and a diminution of its land.
“There must be no reduction in the size of Gaza. That remains our position and will remain our position. So if any proposed buffer zone were inside Gaza, that would constitute a violation of that principle, and it would be something that we … which we oppose,” US State Department spokesman Matt Miller said in December.
Israel also calls for a “southern blockade” on the border between the Gaza enclave and Egypt – the only stretch of land not controlled by Israel – to avoid the rearmament of “terrorist factors” among the Palestinians, while the strip will be completely demilitarized “other than as necessary to maintain civil order.”
Without mentioning the Palestinian Authority – which was expelled after Hamas took power in 2007 – Netanyahu’s proposal calls for the Gaza Strip to be administered by local people who “do not identify with states or organizations that support the terrorism,” as well as Israeli involvement in civil affairs, including education and religion in the predominantly Sunni Muslim territory. Any reconstruction work can only begin indefinitely, after these “deradicalization” and demilitarization goals have been achieved, the document notes.
Netanyahu is also calling for the closure of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, after accusing some of its members of being involved in the October 7 terrorist offensive. The UN is investigating allegations against the agency, which facilitated the distribution of food and resources. in the Gaza Strip and whose schools also serve as shelters for refugees. After several donor countries suspended their funding following the allegations, UNRWA faces the possibility of shutting down its operations by early March, an agency spokesperson previously told CNBC.
It is not clear whether the document, which is not very detailed, was submitted to Netanyahu’s war cabinet for a vote. The proposal appeals to the prime minister’s far-right domestic base and also highlights the conflict between it and his administration. Netanyahu has said in the past that there are no plans to reoccupy the Gaza Strip or to deport Palestinian civilians or reoccupy the Gaza Strip, while some far-right members of his government, notably Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have called for l expulsion of this population, according to Reuters.
The document also risks deepening the rift with Washington, which has supported Israel even as the nation faced International Court of Justice scrutiny over genocide charges levied 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 more than 29,000 in the Gaza Strip since October 7, according to Israeli authorities and Hamas data reported by Reuters . -managed by the Gaza Ministry of Health. This outcome would create an independent Israeli and Palestinian state, likely led by the Palestinian Authority, as well as provide security guarantees for Israel. Washington has also doggedly pursued a normalization of relations between Israel and Middle Eastern countries, pushing earlier this year for reconciliation with regional ally and heavyweight Saudi Arabia.
The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.