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Israel's PM Netanyahu
lays out Gaza plan for
aer the war
22 minutes ago

Israel-Gaza war

REUTERS

Under Mr Netanyahu's plan, Palestinians with no links to

armed groups would run Gaza

By Jenny Hill
BBC News, Jerusalem

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has

laid out his vision for a post-war Gaza.

Under his plan Israel would control security

indefinitely, and Palestinians with no links to
groups hostile to Israel would run the territory.

The US, Israel's major ally, wants the West Bank-

based Palestinian Authority (PA) to govern Gaza
aer the war.

But the short document - which Mr Netanyahu

presented to ministers last night - makes no
mention of the PA.

He has previously ruled out a post-war role for the

internationally backed body.

He envisages a "demilitarised" Gaza; Israel would be

responsible for removing all military capability
beyond that necessary for public order.

There would be a "Southern Closure" on the

territory's border with Egypt to prevent smuggling
both under- and overground.

And "de-radicalisation" programmes would be

promoted in all religious, educational and welfare
institutions. The document suggests Arab countries
with experience of such programmes would be
involved, though Mr Netanyahu has not specified
which.

Why is the Gaza war happening?

Under the plan Israel would also maintain security

control over the entire area west of Jordan from
land, sea and air.

Mr Netanyahu has been under pressure - at home

and internationally - to publish proposals for Gaza
since he began his military operation. He is keen to
restore a crumbling reputation as a leader who can
keep Israel safe and will want to appeal to right
wing hardliners in his coalition government.

A spokesman for Mahmoud Abbas, the president of

the PA, said Mr Netanyahu's plan was doomed to
fail.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh said: "If the world is genuinely

interested in having security and stability in the
region, it must end Israel's occupation of
Palestinian land and recognise an independent
Palestinian state."

Mr Netanyahu repeated his rejection of any

unilateral recognition by Western countries of a
Palestinian state.

Meanwhile negotiators trying to broker a

temporary ceasefire and the release of Israeli
hostages are expected to meet in Paris.

The US wants a deal in place before the Muslim

holy month of Ramadan begins in just over a
fortnight.

And, as the humanitarian situation worsens in Gaza,

there is international pressure too for the war to
end. The Hamas-run Ministry of Health reports that
more than 29,500 people, mostly women and
children, have been killed since the war began in
October.

Israel's military offensive was triggered by Hamas's

unprecedented attack on 7 October in which
gunmen killed about 1,200 people - mainly civilians
- and took 253 back to Gaza as hostages.

Overnight the head of the UN body responsible for

Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) warned that Gaza
faces a "monumental disaster with grave
implications for regional peace, security and human
rights".

Mr Netanyahu - who has accused Unrwa workers of

participating in the October attacks - aims to close
the agency as part of his post-war plan and replace
it with - as yet unspecified - international aid
organisations.

And he has insisted that he will continue his war

until Israel has dismantled Hamas and Islamic Jihad
- the second largest armed group in Gaza - and all
Israeli hostages are returned.

Related Topics

Israel-Gaza war Israel Hamas

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