Settlement in Gaza..Israel’s hopes to control the Strip | Policy

Occupied Jerusalem- Recently, there have been many statements made by the Israelis about the plans that Tel Aviv does not have for the day after the war on the Gaza Strip. It varied between a plan to transfer and displace Gazans and calls to replace settlers in their place in the Gaza Strip, in an approach that reflects the proposal of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said that “Israel will assume security responsibility there for an indefinite period.”

At a time when the settlement movements continue to formulate a plan about the future of the Gaza Strip after the war and start the settlement project there, Netanyahu is keen to confirm his rejection of the return of the Palestinian Authority to rule in Gaza, but he also refuses to present any alternative and public vision except repeating his statement and renewing his commitment to impose complete security control. On the sector.

Avoid clashing

In the absence of certainty that the political hourglass will not stop Israel before the military infrastructure of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) is destroyed, a position assessment issued by the Israeli “Jerusalem” Institute for Strategy and Security concluded that Tel Aviv must move quickly “to occupy Gaza in order to negotiate and set its terms.” About the next day after the war.

The head of the institute, Ephraim Inbar, believes that Israel must focus on achieving its security interests, namely preserving freedom of military action in Gaza and establishing wide buffer zones there under its control.

Anbar recommends avoiding a clash with the American administration regarding everything related to the future of Gaza, and believes that Tel Aviv should try to reach understandings with Washington and support the American demand to restructure and renew the Palestinian Authority and return it to Gaza.

It is suggested that Israel seek to reduce the presence of international forces as much as possible in the Strip to avoid tensions with Washington and the countries participating in the international force.

Inbar believes that the presence of the Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip is better than the presence of international forces, as this allows freedom of military action for the Israeli army in Gaza similar to the security coordination model in the West Bank.

Security-wise, Inbar says that the government vacuum in Gaza should not bother Tel Aviv, because it allows entry into and exit from the Strip as needed, and there will be no effective opposition to the establishment of buffer zones along the security strip.

This assessment of the situation comes at a time when the hourglass of war is about to run out, and several hundred settlers dream of filling the void caused by the forced displacement of Gazans from their homes and lands, specifically in the northern Gaza Strip, as a result of the Israeli war machine.

In fact, investigative journalist Gore Megiddo says, “The settlers have a clear vision of the future. They will live in Gaza, and the Israeli army will guard them,” in his estimation.

Settlement plan

This vision reflects the vision expressed by the “Messianic” plan, which relies on Jewish and biblical religious beliefs, and was crystallized by the settlement movements calling for settlement and the imposition of a fait accompli in the Gaza Strip, in the context of the “Greater Land of Israel” project, according to what journalist Megiddo reviewed in a report in the newspaper “The Marker”.

The settlement vision included in this plan is not limited to this. Megiddo says, “Back to the era of the Gush Katif settlement bloc, there are two main elements that make the matter different compared to the situation on the eve of the disengagement plan in 2005.”

According to the vision of these movements, firstly, Jews will settle throughout the Gaza Strip and among the Palestinian population such as the West Bank and Jerusalem, and not only within the borders of the settlements that were abandoned in the Gaza Strip under the disengagement plan. Secondly, Megiddo says, “Israel will strive to exploit the new situation in Gaza.” “To make it clean of Westerners, literally.”

The plan calls for the resettlement of settlers in the Gaza Strip and not just in the border areas, in parallel with the continuation of military operations and the state of fighting to force the Palestinians to forcibly migrate from the Gaza Strip and move to Europe, and aims to create what they called the “Land of Israel” free of Arabs.

Its implementation comes in line with the facts imposed by the settlement movements on the ground in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem since the Oslo Accords, to house nearly a million settlers, seize control of the lands, besiege the Palestinians, and concentrate them on the smallest patch of land, to force them to migrate.

Hundreds of settlement movement activists and far-right parties from the “Religious Zionism” coalition, led by Bezalel Smotrich, and the “Jewish Greatness” party, headed by Itamar Ben Gvir, participated a few days ago in the activities of a conference entitled “Practical preparation for settlement in the Gaza Strip,” which was held in the Western Negev.

Dream and allegations

Haaretz newspaper quoted one of the participants in the conference sessions as saying that her dream is “to live next to the Rabbi Israel Najara Synagogue, which dates back to the 17th century, a site that no longer exists, but its approximate location is in the heart of Gaza City,” as she claimed.

Daniela Weiss, a leader of the settlement movements in the West Bank and Jerusalem, commented on this by saying, “Nothing can be done in Gaza except for Jewish settlement in the entire Strip,” as she put it.

Vice added, “Who is Ron Dermer? Who is Tzachi Hanegbi? Minister Dermer and the head of the National Security Council are members of the team that Netanyahu formed to formulate recommendations the day after the war on Gaza, which has not yet been proven to be more than just a way to waste time and calm American pressure.”

One of the participants asked the moderator of the discussion session on the future of Gaza after the war, “What is the solution regarding the Arabs there?” He replied, “To Europe, perhaps there will be Arabs, but temporarily.” He added, “Just like what happens in the West Bank regarding the recovery of lands from the Palestinians,” as he put it.