The Israeli military should have full security control over the entire coastal area. Of course, this should also apply to the Palestinian West Bank. This amounts to an occupation, say the Palestinians.
Tel Aviv. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has presented his plan for administering the Gaza Strip after the war to his security cabinet, according to a media report. As Netanyahu has always reiterated before, this envisages total control of the entire coastal area (it is slightly smaller than the size of Vienna) by the Israeli military, reported the newspaper “The Times of Israel” on Friday night.
Regarding the future administration of the Gaza Strip, the policy document vaguely states that it will be led by “local officials” with professional experience. These will be people who have no links to “countries or organizations that support terrorism”.
Benjamin Netanyahu in Israeli vestment (photo from 2023). Portal/Ronen Zvulun
The Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs the West Bank, is not explicitly mentioned in the plan, it is claimed. However, their participation in the future administration is not excluded. The plan is largely based on well-known principles that Netanyahu has repeatedly expressed. But it was the first time they were formally introduced to the cabinet, the newspaper wrote.
The US depends on a renewed PA, led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and wants it to take control of the Gaza Strip again. Israel rejects this and accuses the autonomous authority of supporting terrorism.
Palestinian government protest
The AP strongly condemned Netanyahu's plans on Friday. The plan meant a reoccupation of the Gaza Strip, the Foreign Ministry in Ramallah said. It also disrupts international efforts to establish a Palestinian state. Instead, the project serves Netanyahu's interests of prolonging the war and remaining in power.
Israel's prime minister has so far rejected calls from some right-wing extremist ministers to repopulate the Gaza Strip. The US, as Israel's most important ally, is committed to a two-state solution that envisages the coexistence of Israel and an Arab-Palestinian state.
Israel claims military control over all Palestinian territories, even in the case of an agreement with the Palestinians. Netanyahu recently made clear that this includes the West Bank and Gaza.