Yossi Schwartz, ISL the section of the RCIT in Israel/Occupied Palestine, 01.12.2023
It was clear to us from August 2023 that a war is knocking on the doors of the Middle East and it will begin with the Israeli war on Gaza. In October, or at least the beginning of November, with the carpet bombing aimed at total destruction of the north of Gaza it has been clear that Netanyahu’s plan is a new Nakba. Today 1st December, we got the proof as the daily “Israel today” writes on the plans of Netanyahu:
“The emergency government broadcasts uniformity regarding the resumption of fighting, but regarding the day after – the story is different • Besides the issue of control of the Strip, a plan drawn up by Ron Dermer at Netanyahu’s request, which examines ways to thin the population in Gaza to a minimum, is also expected to cause controversy • For the Prime Minister, this is a strategic goal, the top of the security considers it an unrealistic fantasy”
“Throughout the days of the cease-fire in the fighting in Gaza, the war cabinet ministers, and in fact all the government ministers, made sure to emphasize that it was a temporary cease-fire. They made it clear not only to the citizens of Israel – also to world leaders, led by President Joe Biden”
“October 7 was a defining event. A moment when an entire nation was humiliated and received a painful blow. Even at a time when the campaign captains are instructing the IDF to lay siege to the fire, it is important for them to broadcast a united front and make it clear that the fire will return again. This principle is also preserved in the closed rooms of the security consultations, in the limited and extensive cabinet. It seems that for fear of things getting out, even to themselves, the senior officials do not dare to say anything other”.
“And yet, despite the uniform front and the consistent line, it is possible to recognize in the nuances the difference between the leaders of the war. Naturally, the thin cracks in the first act will lead to political turmoil in the latter. And if already at the stage of conducting the war there are different opinions, then in the question of “the day after” the significant differences between the main players are already evident.
“The issue of the day after is one of the most sensitive today, and dealing with it does not take place in any official forum but only in internal consultations. If there is a significant point of disagreement with the Biden administration on the Gaza issue, then it concerns this question. As for the other things, you can manipulate. To introduce humanitarian aid at the request of the American president, and even fuel. Even the new demand not to cause harm to the displaced people in the southern Gaza Strip when the IDF starts operating there, can be answered with a non-binding statement that “we will try”.
“But bringing Abu Mazen into Gaza to replace the IDF forces on the ground is a completely different story. Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot would gladly do it. Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Galant less so. The common thing is that they all convey a message that Israel has no intention of controlling the territory by itself from a civilian point of view. Galant means in all seriousness.”
“This is a plan that will bypass the American resistance without a confrontation, the Egyptians’ determined resistance without them starting to shoot refugees who will enter their territory through the Philadelphia axis, and the general global resistance that will arise when the first Gazans leave their home and migrate to another place”.
“The phenomenon of refugees in war zones is an accepted thing. Tens of millions of refugees have left war zones across the globe in just the last decade. From Syria to Ukraine. All of them were found to have an address in the countries that agreed to accept them as a humanitarian gesture. So why would Gaza be different?”
“It is not about a transfer, but about releasing the stranglehold on the Gaza borders. Although the crossings to Israel will remain sealed, there are other options. Rafah is one of them, despite Egypt’s strong opposition”
“This passage, at certain times, was breached and completely open. Even today, there is an underground passage between Rafah in Gaza and the Egyptian one in the dimensions of a freeway. The sea is also open to the Gazans. At its will, Israel opens the sea crossing and enables a mass escape to European and African countries” [1]
Endnotes:
[1] https://www.israelhayom.co.il/magazine/hashavua/article/14889801