On Monday, the UN Security Council is expected to discuss the American resolution proposal to establish a stabilization force in Gaza, as part of the"day after" plan. Despite the problematic clauses - and the ongoing connection between Witkoff and Al-Haya, an Israeli official insists:"The draft weakens the Palestinians. A path to a state? They should become Sweden."
Itamar Eichner |
The US is racing ahead with its intention to implement the
Her plan for the "day after" in the Gaza Strip
, and now it seems that Israel is also aligning itself with President Donald Trump. The UN Security Council is expected
Discuss this week
In the American proposal to establish the International Stabilization Force in Gaza (ISF), when Washington is faced with
Diplomatic difficulties
to pass it, and claims that the Palestinians are trying to sabotage the passage of the resolution - even though it includes"a path to establishing a Palestinian state." Israel is going with the Americans - but they also hope that the Palestinians will thwart it.
7 Viewing the gallery
"Israel is working in full coordination with the US." Trump against the backdrop of the ruins in Gaza (Photo: AP Photo/Alex Brandon, AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
"
The American draft
"The Security Council is weakening the status of the Palestinians and setting very strict conditions for creating a corridor that could possibly lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state," an Israeli official said today (Saturday)."It takes them very far from what they already have today, and that's why they are not happy with it at all. They are required to make such strict and radical changes that the chance that they will succeed in making them is zero. They need to become something like Sweden in order to get a state."
The source also addressed the identity of the forces expected to take part in the international stabilization force, with Indonesia and Azerbaijan reportedly being identified as the leaders. He claimed that Israel had not lost its veto power over the identity of the countries that would be included in the force, adding:"Israel has very significant 'input' in this regard, and it is working in full coordination with the Americans. Here too, there are clear stipulations within the framework of the 20 points of the Trump plan for Gaza."
Witkoff and Al-Hayya."Hamas' fate is known and set in stone" (Photo: REUTERS/Marco Bello, Khalil Hamra/AP)
The source also referred to a report yesterday in the New York Times, which stated that Steve Witkoff, the special envoy for the Middle East,
Will meet with Khalil Al-Hayya
"The claim that Hamas remains a key player and is not going anywhere is incorrect," the source said."Hamas' fate is known and set in the blueprint, as stated. Hamas as an organization will not be part of the leadership of Gaza 'the day after.'"
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On the other hand, there are those in Jerusalem who see the American move at the UN as proof that Israel has become a US protectorate, and that it is entering the"corrals" of a Palestinian state, meaning a one-way path from which there is no return. Yesterday, the US issued a statement expressing full support for its draft, which was signed by eight other Arab and Muslim countries: Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Jordan, and Turkey. This fact may indicate where Washington is headed.
Back to Oslo?
The statement said that the US and the eight countries express their joint support for the American draft that will be put to a vote this coming Monday, effectively endorsing the Trump plan to end the conflict in Gaza. The statement said that"this process offers a path to self-determination and a Palestinian state. We emphasize that this is a sincere effort, and the plan provides a sustainable path to peace and stability, not only between Israelis and Palestinians, but for the entire region. We look forward to the swift adoption of this resolution."
The UN Security Council will discuss the American proposal (Photo: Leonardo Munoz / AFP)
Trump and Bin Salman. Will Saudi Arabia join the Abraham Accords? (Photo: AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The wording published last night also relates to the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Washington and his meeting with Trump, against the backdrop of the possibility that Saudi Arabia will join the Abraham Accords - and that the US will sell Riyadh F-35 fighter jets. Trump made it clear that he would try to convince bin Salman to join the agreements, and as you may recall, the Saudis insist on some formula or another for the existence of a Palestinian state so that they will indeed join. On this issue, there were even those in the political system who wondered behind the scenes whether this might be the real reason for Minister Ron Dermer's resignation - since the Palestinian state is returning to the forefront.
The draft American resolution contains additional clauses that could pose a problem for Israel, one of which is that Israel has no veto over the identity of the forces in Gaza. It also states that the composition of the stabilization force will be determined in close consultation with Israel, but not with Israel's consent or disagreement. This wording raises the possibility that Qatar or Turkey will indeed take part in the ISF, despite Israeli opposition. Either way, if the move does go through, it will be the first time since the Oslo Accords that Israel has transferred security responsibility to external parties.
On the right, silence.
In the past, a proposed resolution of the type that the US has put on the table could have shocked and shaken the government, but now there is silence: not a word is heard from Ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. The two ministers are not resigning from the government - and are not even threatening to do so. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have reassured them and made it clear that there is no real chance that the Palestinians will meet the conditions set for them. However, the Prime Minister will not be able to avoid the fact that there will be a Security Council resolution in favor of a Palestinian state.
They are not threatening to resign from the government. Ben Gvir, Smotrich and Netanyahu (Photo: AFP, Reuters)
Added to this is the planned meeting between Witkoff and al-Hayya, following the consolation meeting between them in Egypt that led to Hamas's agreement to Trump's plan. What is certain is that the Trump administration continues to maintain a direct channel of communication with Hamas, and this raises serious concerns that the terrorist organization continues to play a prominent role in the Gaza Strip - and at the moment it seems that it is not going anywhere. According to the report in the"New York Times", the envoy and a senior Hamas official will discuss the ceasefire in the Strip, but no one in Israel is deluding themselves that the organization will disarm.
More than a month since the ceasefire was announced, and despite Hamas violating the commitment it made in the agreement, three hostages still remain dead in the Gaza Strip:
Dror Or
,
Ran Guili
, and
Sontisc Rintalk
Despite this, it appears that the implementation of the second phase of the Trump plan is already underway, meaning that Israel is on the eve of opening the Rafah Crossing, which it has delayed until now due to the failure to return the bodies.
American headquarters
American headquarters
In Kiryat Gat (CMCC) the engines are heating up as the transition to the second phase approaches, and the methodology by which the Americans are managing matters, together with the IDF, is that they have established five working teams and several more integrative teams that operate according to topics: security, humanitarian, intelligence, infrastructure and the establishment of the Stabilization Force (ISF).
A Security Council decision will actually initiate some of the next steps in the plan, including summarizing the powers of the stabilization force, its subordination, and more. The IDF is also preparing for the next steps: training the stabilization force, where it will be located, and how it will be organized in the field. After the decision at the UN, the Americans are supposed to effectively finalize the identities of the countries that will participate in the force, and begin the training process in cooperation with Israel. In Washington, a training process is planned in several places, probably in neighboring countries and not in Israel.
The American headquarters in Israel, visited by Marco Rubio (Photo: Fadel SENNA/ POOL/AFP)
They will be stationed first in Rafah and will seize territory (Photo: David Azagury, US Embassy Jerusalem)
After training, the forces will be placed in the field in order of priority. There is a concrete plan that begins with the deployment of the forces in the southern part of the Strip, in Rafah, and from there they will seize additional areas over time. This is a long process that will not take days or even weeks. The technical process of preparing the place, clearing the rubble and bomb debris, and organizing the space to later bring in the population and international forces is also a long and complex process.
It is estimated that the first forces will arrive in just a few weeks, and then they will begin training, while there are still legal issues regarding the definition of the force's powers and the procedures for opening fire. IDF control of the area up to the Yellow Line - which is an entire area - will continue until all operational conditions are met to ensure that Hamas does not retake it. The goal is for Israel to hold the area until it can be sure that it has succeeded in destroying all the infrastructure, and to create a situation where Hamas does not take over areas that have been cleared of its forces.
