Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Jerusalem on February 18. (Ronen Zvulun/Reuters) |
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled a plan for the Gaza's future post-Hamas, which includes the "complete demilitarization" of the enclave, closing off the territory's southern border with Egypt, as well as the overhaul of Gaza's civil administration and education systems. CNN has obtained a copy of the plan, which Netanyahu presented to members of Israel's security cabinet Thursday night. It was distributed as a basis for discussion, the prime minister's office told CNN, in preparation of further talks, and comes after Netanyahu faced weeks of criticism for having no concrete plan for a postwar Gaza. The plan comes as Israel sent a negotiating team, led by Mossad Director David Barnea, to Paris on Friday to pursue talks over a potential ceasefire and hostage release deal that may put an end to the four-month long war. More than 29,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to the ministry of health in the enclave. Hamas' October 7 attack killed 1,200 people in Israel, according to Israeli authorities. A number of principles are outlined in the document, from changes on the security and civil levels to more long-term plans about who governs the territory. On the security file, the envisioned plan includes Israel closing off Gaza's southern border with Egypt, giving Israel complete control of entry and exit from the enclave. At present, Egypt controls access to and from Gaza's southern border via the Rafah crossing. Netanyahu's plan says Israel will cooperate "as much as possible" with Egypt, in coordination with the United States. It is not clear whether Israel has obtained Egypt's sign-off on that element of the plan, or any part of it. But an Israeli official told CNN that the plan was "aligned" with the US. There has been no immediate official US reaction to the proposal. The plan asserts, as Netanyahu has said before, that "Israel will have security control over the entire area west of Jordan," which includes all of the West Bank and Israel, as well as Gaza. The Palestinians have long sought an independent state in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza. Israel will be responsible for "realizing and overseeing" the demilitarization of the Strip, the plan says, except for what is required to maintain public order. |
An aerial view of buildings destroyed by Israeli air strikes in the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in Gaza City, the Gaza Strip on October 11. (Yahya Hassouna/AFP/Getty Images) |
On the civil level, Netanyahu details an overhaul of Gaza's civil administration and education systems, including an apparent cut-off of funding from Qatar to Gaza – which a previous Netanyahu government approved and facilitated. The local entities running the civil service "will not be identified with countries or entities that support terrorism and will not receive payment from them," the plan says. While it is likely a reference to Qatar, it is not clear if it would also apply to the Palestinian Authority, a revitalized version of which the US has said should run Gaza in the future. The Netanyahu plan also calls for "de-radicalization" in the education system, which Israel and its allies have long accused of promoting antisemitism and hatred of Israel. The plan repeats that Israel will work to shut down UNRWA, the main United Nations agency supporting Palestinian refugees, and work to replace it "with responsible international aid agencies." Israel accuses about a dozen UNRWA employees of being directly involved in the October 7 Hamas attack. The agency employs about 13,000 people in Gaza. Finally, the plan reiterates Israel's insistence that it will not be forced by the international community to recognize a Palestinian state, a possibility the United Kingdom and US President Joe Biden have begun to float. "Israel outright rejects international dictates regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians," the Netanyahu outline says, asserting that recognition of a Palestinian state now would be "a huge reward to unprecedented terrorism." Is the plan realistic? Many of the proposals are opposed by key parties. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has already rejected the idea of a buffer zone. Egypt has rejected the suggestion that Israel could control its border with Gaza. And the United Arab Emirates has said that without a clear roadmap towards an independent Palestinian State – ruled out by Netanyahu – it won't help foot the bill for Gaza's reconstruction. Netanyahu's vow to eliminate UNRWA, the UN aid agency that supplies most international aid to Gaza, would have been difficult to achieve even before October 7. Now, as the UN warns that almost all of the population of Gaza is at risk of "imminent famine," the task would be enormous. There is no mention in the plan of the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the occupied West Bank. Netanyahu has previously rejected the suggestion that it could take control of Gaza. It is not clear whether he would now accept a reconstituted version taking over – and it is far from clear this would be accepted by Palestinians, more of whom voted for Hamas in elections in 2006. For now, Netanyahu's priority remains destroying Hamas and returning more than 100 hostages kidnapped on October 7 who remain in Gaza; getting hostage talks back on track is a key goal of the top delegation that Netanyahu sent to Paris on Friday. The US and others hope a deal will forestall a ground operation in Rafah that could push the death toll in Gaza to well above 30,000. Most observers believe that once the war is over, elections in Israel are inevitable, which Netanayhu and his allies are predicted to lose. But it is far from clear that a different leader – war cabinet member and former opposition leader Benny Gantz is touted as the favorite – would have much of a different vision for Gaza. |
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More on the Israel-Hamas war |
- Paris talks: Israel's war cabinet sent a negotiating team, led by Mossad Director David Barnea, to Paris on Friday to pursue talks over a potential ceasefire and hostage release deal, an Israeli official said. The negotiating team is expected to be empowered to engage in substantive negotiations rather than simply listening to proposals as they did during meetings in Cairo last week, the official said.
- Americans in Israeli prison: Two American brothers who were detained in Gaza earlier this month by Israeli forces are being held in Ashkelon prison, a US official told CNN. Ashkelon is in central Israel just north of the Gaza Strip. The US has renewed its request for consular access to Borak Alagha, 18, and Hashem Alagha, 20, who were born and raised in Chicago in their early childhood, the official said, adding that their location has been shared with their family. Israel's Consul General to the Midwest, Yinam Cohen, told CNN on Thursday the brothers were "arrested for collaboration with Hamas." No other details were offered. A lawyer for the family rejected the Israeli accusations, calling them "baseless accusations and smears."
- Highway shooting: At least one person was killed and several others injured on Thursday in a highway shooting in the occupied West Bank on the outskirts of Jerusalem, according to Israeli authorities. A man in his 20s was killed in the incident, the Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency rescue service said. In a statement, Israel Police said three gunmen opened fire near the A-Zaim checkpoint after they arrived in vehicles from the direction of the Ma'ale Adumim settlement toward Jerusalem, adding that security forces "neutralized" two of the shooters at the scene and another "who tried to escape."
Also read: - Israeli civilians suffered "brutal sexual assaults" that were carried out "systematically and deliberately" during Hamas' October 7 attacks, according to a report published by the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel (ARCCI).
- A small chapel in Gaza City is offering sanctuary to Palestinians, as Israeli strikes wipe out entire families in the north.
- Pro-Palestinian protesters marched inside Joe Biden's hotel in San Francisco, accusing the US president of genocide.
- The Biden administration is racing against the clock as it attempts to secure a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war before Ramadan next month.
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One of the few doctors remaining in Nasser hospital in southern Gaza has described a "desperate and catastrophic" situation one week into the Israeli forces' siege and raid of the complex. "We have been without electricity, oxygen, heating, barely any food or water … we are completely besieged," Dr. Hatem Raba, a general physician from Gaza, told CNN in a telephone interview. "I am doing my job as a doctor, as a nurse, as a cleaner. I'm treating the patients, feeding them, changing their dressing, talking with them, consoling them as a family member would. I'm exhausted," he added. Watch the interview here. Read the full story here. |
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Despite heavy Israeli bombardment, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are still living in northern Gaza without basic supplies like food. The United Nations says it has identified acute malnutrition in 16.2% of children there as hunger continues to spread throughout the strip. Meanwhile, humanitarian groups have faced a number of challenges in getting aid into Gaza and are finding even more difficulty delivering it. In this episode of the Tug of War podcast, CNN's Katie Polglase investigates how a UN aid convoy came under Israeli fire despite traveling on an approved route. As Israel prepares a potential ground operation into Rafah, the US has vetoed a United Nations resolution calling for an "immediate ceasefire" in Gaza. Meanwhile, it has proposed its own draft resolution that calls for a "temporary ceasefire." The diplomatic moves come after Israel's military raided the largest functioning hospital in Gaza, exacerbating the healthcare crisis for desperate Palestinians. In this episode of the Tug of War podcast, CNN's Nic Roberson explains why the Biden administration's cautious language just buys Israel more time. |
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US warns Iran over ballistic missiles for Russia The US on Thursday warned Iran against sending ballistic missiles to Russia, saying that the response to this move would be "swift and severe," White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby said in a media briefing. "If Iran proceeds with this provision of ballistic missiles, I can assure you that the response from the international community will be swift and it will be severe," Kirby said, adding that the matter would also be taken to the UN Security Council and that additional sanctions would be imposed on Iran. - Background: A US official previously told CNN that Russia appears to be moving forward with plans to purchase ballistic missiles from Iran, as Moscow steps up its missile attacks on targets across Ukraine. Iran has already provided Russia with hundreds of drones that Russian forces have used in their war against Ukraine, and Russia is building a drone-manufacturing facility with Iran's help that could have a significant impact on the war in Ukraine once it is completed, CNN has reported.
- Why it matters: With the world marking two years since the start of the Ukraine war, the provision of ballistic missiles would mark a significant escalation of Iran's support for Russia. The warning also comes as both Iran and Russia's ties with the West further deteriorate, marked by ongoing clashes between Iran-backed armed groups and US troops in the Middle East, as well as the recent death of Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny in Russia.
After years of deadly fighting, armed groups in Libya's capital agree to leave, interior minister says Libya's armed factions have agreed to "completely evacuate" the capital Tripoli, Libya's interior minister, Imad Trabelsi, said Wednesday during a news conference, adding that following lengthy discussions, the factions will evacuate before the end of the holy month of Ramadan in April. - Background: Split between two rival administrations since 2014 and having failed to hold presidential elections, Libya has seen little peace throughout the years. Apart from the civil war, Libya's capital has seen deadly fighting between armed groups, most of which formed after the 2011 NATO-backed uprising against Moammar Gadhafi and have progressively grown closer to state security apparatuses in Tripoli. The two strongest military forces in Tripoli are believed to be the Special Deterrence Force and the 444 Brigade.
- Why it matters: The clashes have sometimes resulted in dozens of deaths. Last year, at least 55 people were killed in clashes in southern Tripoli, with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) calling on warring sides to protect civilians.
The UAE is expected to be removed from a money-laundering watchdog 'gray list' The Paris-based Financial Action Task Force [FATF] is expected to remove the United Arab Emirates on Friday from a list placing the Gulf country under increased monitoring for money-laundering and terrorist financing. - Background: The UAE was placed on the list by the FATF in March 2022 after concerns grew in 2020 over wealthy foreigners setting up money-laundering schemes in the global trade hub. In addition to attracting some of the world's richest individuals, the UAE saw an increased inflow of capital from wealthy Russians trying to escape the economic impact of the invasion on Ukraine in 2022. The US has previously sanctioned entities and individuals in the UAE, and Western officials have several times visited the UAE to warn the regional business hub that helping Moscow would have consequences.
- Why it matters: Keen to be removed from the gray list, the UAE has ramped up efforts to dismantle money-laundering schemes within its territory. In 2023, AED249 million ($68 million) in money-laundering and terrorism-financing fines were imposed, state media said. The country also arrested or extradited several wanted high-profile individuals wanted for financial crimes, and last year canceled a license granted to Russia's MTS Bank after it came under US and British sanctions.
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