Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has unveiled a strategic blueprint for the Gaza region, titled the “day after” plan, outlining Israel’s approach following the cessation of hostilities in the Hamas-controlled area. This plan, shared with Israel’s security cabinet and reviewed by Reuters, establishes Israel’s intent to exert security dominance across all territories west of the Jordan River, including Gaza and the West Bank, areas the Palestinians envisage as part of their future sovereign state.
Netanyahu’s proposal firmly dismisses any unilateral acknowledgment of a Palestinian state, emphasizing that any resolution with Palestinians must stem from bilateral talks. However, the plan stops short of specifying potential Palestinian negotiation partners.
The strategy delineates intermediate and long-term objectives for Gaza, stressing demilitarization and societal deradicalization as key targets. Although specific timelines are not provided, Netanyahu conditions Gaza’s reconstruction on its full demilitarization and advocates for Israeli monitoring on Gaza’s southern border, proposing collaboration with Egypt and the U.S. to thwart smuggling activities.
The proposal suggests dismantling the UNRWA, advocating for its replacement with alternate international humanitarian organizations, and envisions establishing governance in Gaza with non-terrorist affiliated local figures.
This initiative is positioned as a response to the Oct. 7 Hamas-led onslaught against southern Israel, triggering a conflict that has seen extensive casualties and displacement. While Netanyahu’s office heralds this plan as reflective of a broad consensus on post-war objectives, Palestinian Authority spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh deems it unviable, underscoring the necessity of addressing occupation and endorsing Palestinian statehood with Jerusalem as its capital.
Netanyahu’s vision surfaces amidst renewed global advocacy for a two-state resolution to the enduring Israeli-Palestinian discord, a stance that faces opposition within Israel’s political landscape despite longstanding international endorsement.
