Netanyahu reveals his plan for a post-Hamas future in Gaza: These are the keys

(CNN) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled a plan for a post-Hamas Gaza future that included “complete demilitarization” of the enclave, “operating freedom throughout the Gaza Strip” for the Israeli military, and “zone security” within the enclave. .

CNN obtained a copy of the plan, which Netanyahu presented to members of the Israeli security cabinet on Thursday night.

Borders, Security and Demilitarization

The plan also calls for Israel to close Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, which would give it full control of entry and exit from the enclave.

Egypt currently controls access from Gaza’s southern border.

Netanyahu’s plan says Israel will cooperate “to the extent possible” with Egypt and in coordination with the United States. It is not clear whether Israel has obtained approval from Egypt for that element of the plan or any part of it.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem on September 27, 2023. (Photo by: Abir Sultan/Pool/AFP/Getty Images).

The plan is “aligned” with the United States, an Israeli official told CNN. At the moment there has been no immediate official reaction to the proposal from the North American country’s authorities.

The Prime Minister’s Office told CNN that the proposal was circulated to all cabinet members as a basis for discussion in preparation for further discussion on the issue.

“Israel will have control over the security of the entire area west of Jordan,” including the entire West Bank and Israel, as well as Gaza, the plan states, as Netanyahu has previously said.

And it says Israel will be responsible for “conducting and monitoring” the demilitarization of the enclave, except as necessary to maintain public order.

Netanyahu also detailed an overhaul of Gaza’s civil administration and education system, including an apparent cutoff of Qatari funding to Gaza, which his previous government had approved and facilitated.

Local institutions that manage public administration “will not be identified with and receive payments from countries or organizations that support terrorism,” the plan says.

This is probably a reference to Qatar. It is unclear whether that would apply to the Palestinian Authority, which the United States says should run Gaza in a revived version in the future.

Netanyahu’s plan calls for the “deradicalization” of the education system, which Israel and its allies have long accused of fostering anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel.

And it maintains Israel’s pressure on UNRWA, the main United Nations agency supporting Palestinian refugees, saying Israel will work “with responsible international aid agencies” to close the agency and replace it.

Israel has accused a dozen UNRWA staff of direct involvement in the October 7 Hamas attack. The agency employs about 13,000 people in Gaza.

In this photo taken on November 27, 2023, a UNRWA school was heavily damaged following an Israeli attack on the village of Khuza. (Credit: Said Khatib/AFP/Getty Images)

The question of recognition of the Palestinian state

The plan also reiterates Israel’s insistence that the international community will not force it to recognize a Palestinian state, a possibility that the United Kingdom and US President Joe Biden have begun to consider.

“Israel categorically rejects international mandates on a permanent agreement with the Palestinians,” Netanyahu outlined, saying recognition of a Palestinian state would be “an enormous reward for unprecedented terrorism.”