EXPLAINER - Israel-US plan aims to fragment Gaza, isolate it from world

By Mustafa Deveci

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Gaza plan, backed by the US, envisions splitting the region in two and completely severing its connection with the outside world, while offering no guarantees for a permanent cease-fire.

The ongoing massacres by Israel in Gaza since Oct. 7 have resulted in the deaths of more than 40,000 Palestinians, with the fate of over 10,000 people still uncertain under the rubble.

This has increased pressure on the US administration, whose unconditional support for Israel has been met with worldwide criticism.

As the US prepares for presidential elections in November, backlash within the Democratic Party base is growing over continued military support enabling the massacres in Gaza.

Netanyahu's government, accused of seeking deadlock to stay in power, has escalated attacks instead of negotiating a cease-fire, humanitarian aid, or prisoner exchanges.

Ahead of the presidential election, the Biden administration came up with a Gaza plan to calm both domestic and international audiences.

At the end of May, Biden announced that Israel had proposed a new three-phase cease-fire plan.

Hamas announced within hours that it welcomed Biden's proposals on a permanent cease-fire, withdrawal of occupying forces from Gaza, reconstruction, and prisoner exchange.

Although Biden stated that Israel was behind the plan, Netanyahu avoided making a strong statement supporting it.

The US administration framed the plan as Israel's proposal, which Hamas needed to accept.

This aimed to portray Netanyahu’s government as seeking peace while suggesting that Hamas favored continued conflict.

- Netanyahu introduces new conditions

On June 3, Netanyahu claimed that Biden's proposals had gaps. This confirmed that the proposals actually belonged to the Biden administration, not Netanyahu.

As Netanyahu introduced new conditions for negotiations, it became clear that these were not minor adjustments but radical changes.

The new conditions include dividing Gaza with the Netzarim Corridor under Israeli military occupation and severing the Gaza Strip from Egypt by maintaining the Philadelphia Corridor under occupation.

Netanyahu also demands the right for Israel to attack Gaza at any time, insisting that in the event of a possible breach of the agreement, the Israeli military should have the freedom to strike Gaza as it sees fit.

- Netanyahu gains support from US administration amid election pressure

Sticking to his conditions, Netanyahu continued to pressure the US administration, which critically needed support from the Israeli lobby and voters before the presidential election.

In May, the US administration, which had initially claimed Netanyahu accepted the proposals, showed signs of backing away.

On Aug. 15-16, in the Qatari capital Doha, the US presented a new package in talks that did not include Hamas.

In a meeting with Qatari and Egyptian officials, as well as Mossad and CIA delegations, the US presented Netanyahu's conditions and sought to have Hamas accept them.

On Aug. 19, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, visiting Israel, announced in Tel Aviv that the Netanyahu administration had accepted the prisoner exchange and cease-fire proposals and called on Hamas to approve the agreement.

Blinken avoided detailing the proposals Israel accepted, but leaks indicated Netanyahu's conditions were incorporated.

Biden, who withdrew from the presidential race but supported his party’s campaign, overlooked changes to the May proposals under Netanyahu’s pressure and blamed Hamas for the impasse.

Hamas, in turn, continues to assert its commitment to the May proposals and calls for their implementation.

- Netanyahu's conditions mean continued occupation in Gaza

Netanyahu, who has never accepted the idea of a permanent cease-fire, is proposing conditions that would mean endless attacks on the people of Gaza.

The Israeli prime minister plans to keep the Netzarim Corridor under Israeli military occupation, effectively dividing the territory of Gaza's 360-square-kilometer population into two.

The Netzarim Corridor, which disrupts Gaza's territorial integrity, will sever the connection between northern and southern Gaza.

Even with a cease-fire, the continued Israeli military occupation will prevent movement between the north and south.

Thus, the division of Palestinian territory into Gaza and the West Bank will become a three-part split.

- Separated Gaza will also be isolated from world

Another condition Netanyahu proposed for a cease-fire, which appears to have the US support, is that the Philadelphi Corridor on Gaza's border with Egypt remains under Israeli military control.

The Philadelphi Corridor contains the Rafah Border Crossing, Gaza's only gateway to the outside world aside from Israel, which has been under blockade by air, land, and sea since 2007.

Continued Israeli control of this corridor would effectively suffocate Gaza and completely cut off its connection to the outside world.

It would also facilitate the blocking of aid and complicate the reconstruction of Gaza, as Israel would control the entry of materials.

In summary, Netanyahu’s conditions would leave the fate of Gaza’s approximately 2.3 million residents in Israel's hands.

Blinken, in a statement made in Qatar, said they oppose the long-term Israeli military presence in Gaza, including in the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors, but did not provide any assurances regarding the end of the occupation.