Netanyahu unveils post-war plan for Gaza, giving Israeli army 'impunity' to take any action in enclave

By Ahmed Asmar

ANKARA (AA) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has presented his War Cabinet with a post-war plan for the Gaza Strip, giving the Israeli army “impunity” to conduct any action in the Palestinian enclave.

Netanyahu's "The Day After Hamas" plan includes dismantling Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups, as well as installing a new local administration run by locals "who are not linked to countries or entities that ‘support terrorism’," the Times of Israel reported on Friday.

The plan, which Netanyahu presented to the Cabinet late Thursday evening, also grants the Israeli army "indefinite freedom" to operate in Gaza even after the war ends.

"The plan states that Israel will move forward with its already-in-motion project to establish a security buffer zone on the Palestinian side of the strip's border," the daily said, adding that the buffer zone would remain "as long as there is a security need for it."

Israel has already been accused of genocide, as South Africa has taken the case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, and if this plan is approved without international intervention, Israeli soldiers' freedom to operate in Gaza will exacerbate Palestinian sufferings, as no law will be enforced if they kill people and even enter civilians' homes without official approvals from concerned authorities.
In January, the International Court of Justice issued an interim ruling ordering Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take steps to ensure that civilians in Gaza receive humanitarian aid.

Concerning the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Netanyahu's road map plan eliminates its presence in Gaza and replaces it with, what he called, "responsible international aid organizations."

Israel accuses some 12 UNRWA staffers of allegedly being involved in the Oct. 7 events. UNRWA says it opened an investigation over the Israeli claims, adding that Israel didn't share with it any information confirming its allegation.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas. The ensuing Israeli war has killed more than 29,500 people and caused mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

For the first time since its creation in 1948, Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, the highest judicial body of the United Nations, over its Gaza war.

An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar