On Wednesday, the Prime Minister of the occupation government, Benjamin Netanyahu, held a meeting in occupied Jerusalem with Nikolai Mladenov, the Executive Director of what is known as the 'Peace Council' for the Gaza Strip. The meeting included the Council's technical staff, where sensitive issues related to the future of the Strip were discussed, although the official statement issued by Netanyahu's office did not disclose details of the direct discussions held behind closed doors.
This meeting is the second of its kind in just two weeks, reflecting intensified diplomatic moves following Mladenov's arrival in the region last Tuesday. These moves come amidst the ongoing aggression on Gaza and deepening political differences over the identity of the party that will manage the Strip in the next phase, especially with negotiations on disarming the resistance reaching a dead end.
Informed sources reported that negotiation rounds in Cairo may not resume soon if the parties do not receive a positive response from Hamas regarding the updated proposals. This stalemate has prompted decision-making circles in Tel Aviv and Washington to consider the possibility of proceeding with the implementation of the 'Twenty Points Plan' proposed by US President Donald Trump, even if the movement does not agree to give up its weapons.
The new American vision proposes transferring control of certain areas in the Gaza Strip to an 'international stabilization force' that would undertake temporary security and administrative tasks. The plan also aims to expand the scope of humanitarian aid delivery to geographical areas described by the occupation as 'free of terrorism,' in an attempt to create a new reality on the ground that bypasses the current administrative structures in the Strip.
The plan also includes a clause stipulating the handover of civil affairs administration in Gaza to a Palestinian technocratic committee, but the occupation authorities continue to place obstacles to approving the names of its members. Concurrently with these discussions, actual procedures began to recruit new police elements under the name of maintaining order, in a step aimed at preparing the ground for an alternative administration away from Palestinian factions.
One of the most controversial points in Trump's plan is the clause that refers to the possibility of the occupation forces withdrawing from specific areas and handing them over to the international force without prior disarmament of Hamas. Reports indicate that this approach faces strong opposition within the ruling coalition in Israel, which insists on liquidating the military capabilities of the resistance as a condition for any partial or complete withdrawal.
In a related context, Michael Eisenberg, Netanyahu's advisor for Gaza affairs, stated that the Peace Council has the authority to enter and control areas within the Strip and use force to disarm if necessary. Although this military option does not explicitly appear in the original texts of the American plan, the statements reflect an Israeli desire to hold international parties responsible for direct confrontation.
For his part, the US Ambassador to the occupation, Mike Huckabee, expressed deep doubts about the success of any international party other than the Israeli army in the mission of disarming Palestinian factions. Huckabee expressed hope that the occupation would avoid international condemnations if it decided to expand its military operations on the ground to achieve its security goals, considering that international guarantees might not be sufficient to protect Israel's security.
On the ground, occupation aircraft continue to launch raids on various areas of the Strip, amidst increasing international warnings of a widespread famine resulting from the tight siege and the closure of vital crossings. Human rights reports confirm that preventing the entry of basic necessities has led to an unprecedented collapse in the humanitarian system, at a time when Israeli security agencies are pressing to reduce aid on the pretext of preventing its access to the resistance.
The Peace Council can enter and control areas in Gaza and disarm Hamas by force if necessary.
שתף את דעתך
Netanyahu discusses with 'Peace Council' stalled disarmament file and scenarios of Trump's plan in Gaza