Israel’s Secret Plan to Relocate 2.3 Million Gazans
The Israeli government’s Ministry of Intelligence recently proposed a controversial wartime plan to relocate the entire population of the Gaza Strip, comprising 2.3 million people, to Egypt’s Sinai peninsula. This proposal has triggered a strong backlash from the Palestinians and has further strained the already delicate relationship between Israel and Egypt.
Although the Prime Minister’s office downplayed the proposal as a mere theoretical exercise, the Egyptian government remains concerned that Israel is attempting to shift the burden of Gaza onto Egypt. For the Palestinians, the plan evokes memories of the mass displacement during the 1948 conflict, which remains a traumatic event in their history.
The proposal, which emerged shortly after a devastating conflict between Israel and Hamas, outlines several options to alter the civilian situation in Gaza. The favored option involves relocating the civilian population to tent cities in northern Sinai, establishing a security zone within Israel to prevent their return, and creating a humanitarian corridor. However, the fate of the Gaza territory itself remains unspecified in the document.
Egypt, a country apprehensive about a potential influx of Palestinian refugees, has consistently opposed the idea of accommodating Gaza’s population. The nation’s president, Abdel Fattah El-Sissi, warned that accepting refugees from Gaza would not only jeopardize the Palestinian cause but also pose a security risk to Egypt. In response, he suggested that Israel should house Palestinians in its Negev Desert.
The proposal has raised concerns about its potential impact on the strategic relationship between Israel and Egypt, with experts warning that it could undermine the stability of the region. Moreover, the document discusses the possibility of other countries, including Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Canada, providing financial support or resettlement options for the displaced Gazans.
While Israeli officials have emphasized that the document is not binding and was not extensively discussed, it has nonetheless underscored the complexity of the situation in the region and the challenges associated with finding a long-term solution for Gaza.