Washington, DC – Donald Trump claimed the merit of the ceasefire agreement which interrupted the war in Gaza, but the proposal of the President of the United States to force the Palestinians on force on the territory may go around the Agreement, according to experts.
Trump has called on several occasions this week so that Gaza is depopulated – a push which, according to the defense groups, would be equivalent to ethnic cleaning – and in the United States to “take over” from the Palestinian territory.
Managers around the world warned that the uproot of the Palestinians of Gaza would destabilize the whole Middle East. More immediately, Trump’s comments could derail the thrust towards a sustainable end to fighting on the territory.
“The completely scandalous and bizarre calls of President Trump to ethnic cleaning of more than two million Palestinians from Gaza seriously undermines the chances of continuing the ceasefire,” said Josh Ruebner, lecturer in the justice and peace program Georgetown University.
“Of course, the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians did not in any way were a cease-fire agreement and, by Trump, putting this option on the table, it is destroying the very fragile process.”
The ceasefire entered into force on January 19, one day before Trump took office for a second term. But the American president argued that his negotiation efforts, led by the envoy of the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, played a decisive role in sealing the agreement.
Trump invoked the ceasefire in his inaugural speech when he undertook to leave an inheritance as a “peaceful and unifying”.
‘We had nothing to do with that’
A few days later, Trump suggested emptying Gaza from its inhabitants. Initially, it was easy to reject comments as one of his hyperbolic statements out of the time.
But then he repeated them again and again. On Tuesday, he read prepared remarks that expanded his proposal while speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House.
“The United States will take control of the Gaza Strip, and we will also do a job with. We have it, ”said Trump.
Despite Trump’s comments, the ceasefire continued to hold. Weapons remain silent and Hamas is expected to release three other Israeli captives in the coming days in exchange for 183 Palestinians held by Israel.
However, the proposal of the American president raises questions about the subsequent stages of the truce agreement, which include discussions on the future of Gaza.
The first phase – which will see the release of 33 Israeli captives, a wave of humanitarian assistance in Gaza and the partial Israeli withdrawal from the territory – is expected to expire on March 1.
The second step is supposed to see a complete withdrawal from the Israeli Gaza forces, a permanent cease-fire and the release of all the remaining captives held by Hamas. And the third step includes a five -year reconstruction plan for Gaza.
Trump’s push so that the people of Gaza completely leave the territory seems to be in direct contradiction with the spirit of the agreement.
And there are signs that the American administration is no longer engaged in all parties of the agreement it boasted of the courtification.
Trump Witkoff’s envoy on Tuesday suggested that Washington will enter the first two steps to release all the Israeli captives. But he seemed to inform about the third stage – reconstruct Gaza – saying that he “cannot go as this agreement speaks, which is a five -year program”.
Witkoff removed the Trump team from the agreement, saying it was not “wonderful” from the start.
“We had nothing to do with that,” he said.
‘Let’s go’
US officials tried to return – or at least mitigate – Trump’s comments, with the White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, saying that the inhabitants of Gaza are “temporarily relocated”.
The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, also said that the displacement of the Palestinians in Gaza would be in “the interval”, and that the residents could “return” after the reconstruction.
But the president reiterated almost daily this week that his plan is to permanently withdraw the Palestinians from Gaza and claim the territory for the United States.
Khalil Jahshan, the executive director of the Washington DC Arab center, said Trump’s proposal was sentenced to ceasefire.
“What we heard of the White House this week, in my humble judgment, completely killed the ceasefire agreement. Let’s go, ”Jahshan told Tel Aviv Tribune.
“He deprived the ceasefire agreement of his planned goal: a solution for the day after Gaza and the people of Gaza. If the inhabitants of Gaza will be transferred ethnically to places of Indonesia to Albania in anything, then what is the purpose of proceeding? »»
Trump himself suggested that war could soon restart.
“Strikes could start tomorrow,” Trump said on Tuesday. “There is much left to strike.”
Since October 2023, the offensive supported by the United States in Gaza has killed nearly 62,000 Palestinians, including thousands of missing people who are presumed dead.
But why did Trump insist for a cease-fire that he did not intend to maintain?
“Donald Trump is not interested in the ceasefire for the well-being of the Palestinians,” said Khaled Elgindy, analyst of the Middle East.
“He is interested in the title of the ceasefire. He wants credit. He means, “I won. I am the guy who did it. It does not really care if it is implemented or if it collapses or if it ends with ethnic cleaning. »»
Netanyahu’s war objectives
Elgindy said the completion of the second stage of the agreement – a permanent cease -fire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops – will be vital to thwart the ethnic cleaning plan.
“There is no doubt that the ceasefire, opposite, is completely incompatible with a plan to clean ethnically Gaza,” Elgindy told Tel Aviv Tribune.
“This is why I think that phase two is so critical. If we can obtain an agreement on phase two and the phase two is implemented, then I think that the risk of real ethnic cleansing is considerably reduced. »»
Elgindy added that it does not help the ceasefire that Trump “speaks mad” of the future of Gaza, but seeing the agreement has its own dynamic-and the decision to do it with Netanyahu and the president American.
Asked about the ceasefire of the White House this week, Netanyahu is committed to continuing to pursue three war objectives: to release captives, to destroy the military and governing capacities of Hamas and to ensure that Gaza does not constitute A threat to Israel.
Fighters strongly armed with Hamas emerged across Gaza after more than 15 months of war after the ceasefire. And the group still seems to supervise the civil administration of the territory.
Netanyahu could see his coalition in power collapse if the Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, who promotes the resumption of war, withdraws from the government.
“At this point, Netanyahu already knows if he wants or not a ceasefire – a phase two – and Donald Trump already knows if he will accept Netanyahu’s decision,” Elgindy told Tel Aviv Tribune.
For Jahshan, Netanyahu made his plans known when he reiterated his intention to continue to pursue war objectives.
“The statements made by Netanyahu in the presence of Trump, without objection from Trump, is essentially a declaration of war – resume war soon. So for me, this is probably the most likely scenario, “he told Tel Aviv Tribune.