What was Netanyahu’s map and ‘plan for Gaza’ all about?

On September 2, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went connected TV to speech astir the warfare connected Gaza.

After the Palestinian radical Hamas led an cognition connected October 7, during which 1,139 radical successful Israel died and different 250 oregon truthful were taken captive, Israel launched a warfare connected Gaza, sidesplitting much than 40,000 Palestinians there.

International and interior unit has built connected Netanyahu to travel to a ceasefire statement that would spot the Israeli captives returned successful speech for an extremity to the warring and a merchandise of Palestinians prisoners.

But Netanyahu’s quality league signalled that helium had nary intent of agreeing to a ceasefire.

Instead, helium presented a program for the aboriginal of Palestine. Here’s each you request to cognize astir it:

What was this each about?

When Netanyahu appeared connected television, helium stood successful beforehand of a elephantine representation with a pointer held tightly successful his hand. The representation had cartoonish bombs drawn connected Gaza, interspersed with cartoon “masked men”.

He was determination to springiness a slick presumption astir what helium wanted to bash successful the besieged Gaza Strip, ostensibly, but notably absent connected the representation was the occupied West Bank.

What does helium privation to bash to Gaza?

Netanyahu’s presumption suggested partitioning Gaza into 3 parts, making it unrecognisable.

He wants to support the full country northbound of an axis the Israeli service chopped done the Strip nether Gaza City, the Netzarim Corridor, destroyed.

There would beryllium nary reconstruction and radical would not allowed to spell backmost to their homes.

This, helium claimed, would beryllium truthful Israeli forces could enactment to dismantle immoderate passageway infrastructure oregon Hamas “nests” successful that area.

The southernmost portion of onshore successful Gaza, the Philadelphi Corridor, would stay nether Israeli subject control, portion a caller 3rd corridor would beryllium built betwixt Rafah and Khan Younis and besides beryllium controlled by Israel.

But Netanyahu does not privation Israel to beryllium bogged down successful managing the affairs of much than 2 cardinal civilians it plans to support displaced, helium suggested alternatively that a section civilian authorization instrumentality attraction of those.

What astir the occupied West Bank?

Well, arsenic we mentioned above, his program seemed to erase the occupied West Bank.

The representation Netanyahu tapped connected for accent showed the West Bank arsenic wholly annexed into Israel.

Netanyahu points astatine a representation that shows the occupied West Bank arsenic an annexed portion of Israel connected September 4, 2024 [Abir Sultan/AFP]

This comes arsenic Israeli assaults connected exile camps and towns successful the occupied West Bank scope caller highs, a show of what whitethorn good beryllium Netanyahu’s extremity goal.

Why the Philadelphi Corridor?

Philadelphi lies connected the Egypt border, and Netanyahu has been claiming that lone Israel tin power that borderline crossing to halt Hamas from smuggling the captives it has retired of Gaza oregon smuggling weapons and different contraband in.

Despite respective nationalist statements by radical from wrong his ain furniture and information establishment, he’s been coating it arsenic a “cornerstone” of Israel’s security.

But analysts judge Netanyahu’s absorption connected the Philadelphi Corridor is for a antithetic reason: trying to derail a ceasefire agreement.

“It’s fundamentally an excuse that Netanyahu is utilizing astatine this point,” Zachary Lockman, an adept connected Israel-Palestine astatine New York University, told Al Jazeera.

Why would Netanyahu privation to derail a ceasefire?

Excellent question. This insistence connected the Philadelphi Corridor is holding up negotiations – besides due to the fact that mediator Egypt is wholly opposed to Israel being there.

No ceasefire means the captives taken into Gaza connected October 7 volition not beryllium coming backmost anytime soon, a information that is enraging their families, friends and chap Israelis who are protesting successful immense numbers.

Demonstrators instrumentality portion successful a protestation to amusement enactment for the captives taken during the October 7 Hamas-led attack, successful Tel Aviv connected September 4, 2024 [Florion Goga/Reuters]

This each seems similar a concern Netanyahu should privation to avoid, and yet helium isn’t. Analysts and adjacent immoderate US officials are saying that helium really intends to clasp up the ceasefire negotiations successful bid to prolong his clip successful powerfulness and to debar dealing with corruption cases against him.

So Israeli troops are staying successful Gaza?

According to Netanyahu’s projected plan, yes.

Israel maintains power of the Netzarim Corridor which splits the northbound and southbound of Gaza and the Philadelphi Corridor, which borders Egypt.

Furthermore, the “security buffer” Israel has built successful the Gaza Strip would stay successful spot and Israel would instrumentality a wide portion of onshore successful the northbound of Gaza.

Will assistance astatine slightest beryllium yet allowed into Gaza?

According to a representation shared by Itay Epshtain connected X, 2 zones would beryllium acceptable up – 1 successful the Netzarim Corridor and 1 successful the caller corridor that volition abstracted Rafah and Khan Younis.

This is wherever assistance would theoretically beryllium distributed, creating propulsion factors to support radical focused astir those 2 axes.