In a stunning endorsement that has sent shockwaves across the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his full-throated support for US President Donald Trump’s audacious plan to “take over” the Gaza Strip and relocate its 2.3 million Palestinian residents. The controversial proposal, which humanitarian law experts have decried as tantamount to ethnic cleansing, has emerged as a make-or-break issue as a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas teeters on the brink of collapse.
Netanyahu’s doubling down on the Gaza redevelopment scheme comes amid reports that Hamas, the militant group that has controlled the beleaguered coastal enclave since 2007, has agreed to hand over the reins to its bitter rival, the Palestinian Authority (PA). The landmark concession, which would effectively end Hamas’ 16-year stranglehold on power in Gaza, was reportedly brokered by Egyptian mediators desperate to prevent the resumption of hostilities.
Trump’s Vision: A Gaza Stripped of Palestinians
The linchpin of Trump’s plan, which he unveiled to the shock of the international community last week, is the wholesale relocation of Gaza’s predominantly Palestinian population to neighboring Arab states such as Egypt and Jordan. In their stead, the former US president envisions a glittering resort destination rising from the ashes of what is widely regarded as the world’s largest open-air prison.
Critics have wasted no time in sounding the alarm over the proposal’s far-reaching implications. In a searing rebuke, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, blasted the plan as a “flagrant violation of international law” that would amount to “the forcible transfer of the protected population.”
The entire Gaza Strip has been transformed into an unlivable open-air prison, a process the UN has labeled ‘de-development.’ Further entrenchment of this untenable reality is not an option.
Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur
The dire warning has done little to deter Netanyahu, who has made no secret of his disdain for the international community’s concerns. In a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday, the Israeli leader insisted that his government was “working closely” with Washington to bring Trump’s vision to fruition.
A Fractious Ceasefire Hangs by a Thread
Netanyahu’s steadfast embrace of the Gaza redevelopment plan has thrown the already precarious ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas into further jeopardy. The truce, which took effect last month after 16 months of devastating conflict, was billed as a potential watershed moment in the quest for a lasting peace.
Under the terms of the agreement, Israel committed to a phased withdrawal of its forces from Gaza in exchange for the release of Israeli captives and the remains of fallen soldiers. Hamas, for its part, pledged to halt all rocket fire and relinquish control of the territory to the PA.
But the future of the truce is now hanging by a thread as Israel’s security cabinet prepares to vote on whether to dispatch a delegation to Qatar for talks on the critical second phase of the deal. The negotiations, slated to begin in early March, are expected to focus on the thorny issues of prisoner swaps, Gaza’s reconstruction, and the long-term governance of the strip.
Netanyahu’s Political Calculus
For Netanyahu, the stakes could not be higher. The embattled prime minister, who is battling corruption charges that threaten to end his storied political career, has made no secret of his determination to keep his fragile coalition government afloat at all costs.
Faced with the prospect of snap elections that could see him ousted from power, Netanyahu has sought to placate his far-right allies by adopting an increasingly hawkish stance on Gaza. His embrace of Trump’s redevelopment plan, which has been met with near-universal condemnation in the Arab world, is widely seen as a calculated gambit to shore up his nationalist credentials.
Netanyahu is afraid that losing office will leave him more vulnerable to corruption charges, so he has prioritized the survival of his government over a hostage deal.
Israeli political analyst
The World Watches and Waits
As the clock ticks down on the ceasefire’s expiration date, the international community is scrambling to devise an alternative to Trump’s incendiary proposal. Saudi Arabia is set to host a summit of regional powers on Thursday in a bid to hammer out a consensus plan for Gaza’s future, while the Arab League is slated to convene an emergency session on Palestinian governance later this month.
For its part, the European Union is reportedly preparing to warn Israel that any Palestinians displaced by the redevelopment scheme must be guaranteed the right to return to their homes in a “dignified” manner. Brussels is also said to be mulling a substantial aid package to fund Gaza’s rebuilding, provided that the territory’s residents are not forcibly relocated.
But with Netanyahu showing no signs of backing down from his support for Trump’s plan, and Hamas warning that it will resume its rocket attacks if Israel fails to honor the ceasefire agreement, the prospect of a return to all-out war looms ominously on the horizon. As the world watches and waits, the fate of Gaza’s long-suffering population hangs precariously in the balance.
