It would have been nice if Biden hadn't made the whole thing up whole cloth. Both Israel and Gaza say they have seen nor agreed to any such plan. They don't seem to know what Biden was talking about with this new agreement.
It's not clear how much of a presence (if any) Hamas would still have in Gaza if the PA began to run the territory. Would Hamas still be able to fire rockets at Israel from Gaza? Would the PA be able and willing to prevent rocket firings, or else crack down on Hamas after they fired them?
If Biden's plan leads to a stable, secure, rocket-free Gaza run by the PA, that will be excellent. I fear it won't work, though. As tragic as it is to say, I fear the only way to prevent anything close to another October 7 is for Israel to keep fighting in Gaza until Hamas is utterly destroyed, even if all the remaining hostages and thousands more Gazan civilians perish. I hope Biden knows what he's doing.
A last thought. Gaza has been devastated with most civic structures and hospitals and housing affected. The aerial pictures tell the story. So where are all these Palestinian Gazans going to live now? Or are they being encouraged to leave. I'd like to know how 2 things might affect the future of the Gaza. One, the large Marine 1 and Marine 2 gas/oil fields off the coast of Gaza that the Palestinians were not allowed to exploit. That's a many billion dollar asset just waiting to be used - but by who? And, are there still plans to possible build the Ben Gurian Canal that would run near/thourgh Gaza? It would compete with the Suez Canal and give the Israelis a huge monetary and strategic advantage.
Why is it these two things never get mentioned in today's discussions yet have an important influence on the Middle East. And are surely discussed in Israel and backrooms within the Middle East and elsewhere.
I wish Israel's Netanyahu government was an honest partner - given our support to an "ally" and the billions of dollars annual aid we give. But it is not. Netanyahu has consistently undermined any efforts to create a Palestinian state - or a process to get one. He and his super right-wing partners in the leadership have let the West Bank become lawless with continual violence against Palestinians - their people, towns and their lands. (As documented in NY Times recently.) One of his coalition partners - Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party? - was caught saying that their plan is to take over the West Bank without an official annexation. Just doing it. PM Netanyahu has supported Hamas by allowing many millions of dollars to flow to Hamas while freezing out the Palestinian Authority by giving little support or recognition - all to be able to paint ALL Palestinians as terrorists. Total cynicism. Netanyahu comes to the US to argue his case in Congress. A letter from over 40 former security, government and business leaders of Israel to US leaders sent in last few days - devastated Netanyahu, his US visit, and his role in the October attack and poor planning - or not planning - for the conflict's resolution. No. The US needs to put its foot down and be the "big brother" who acts in Israel's - and the Palestinian's - best interests. Push for a 2 state solution and don't take no for an answer. Need any other suggestions on how to pressure the current Israeli government? Listen to Senator Bernie Sanders - a true patriot. Unaffected by the hidden power of AIPAC. No the current Israeli government is NOT an honest partner with the US.
It would have been nice if Biden hadn't made the whole thing up whole cloth. Both Israel and Gaza say they have seen nor agreed to any such plan. They don't seem to know what Biden was talking about with this new agreement.
It's not clear how much of a presence (if any) Hamas would still have in Gaza if the PA began to run the territory. Would Hamas still be able to fire rockets at Israel from Gaza? Would the PA be able and willing to prevent rocket firings, or else crack down on Hamas after they fired them?
If Biden's plan leads to a stable, secure, rocket-free Gaza run by the PA, that will be excellent. I fear it won't work, though. As tragic as it is to say, I fear the only way to prevent anything close to another October 7 is for Israel to keep fighting in Gaza until Hamas is utterly destroyed, even if all the remaining hostages and thousands more Gazan civilians perish. I hope Biden knows what he's doing.
A last thought. Gaza has been devastated with most civic structures and hospitals and housing affected. The aerial pictures tell the story. So where are all these Palestinian Gazans going to live now? Or are they being encouraged to leave. I'd like to know how 2 things might affect the future of the Gaza. One, the large Marine 1 and Marine 2 gas/oil fields off the coast of Gaza that the Palestinians were not allowed to exploit. That's a many billion dollar asset just waiting to be used - but by who? And, are there still plans to possible build the Ben Gurian Canal that would run near/thourgh Gaza? It would compete with the Suez Canal and give the Israelis a huge monetary and strategic advantage.
Why is it these two things never get mentioned in today's discussions yet have an important influence on the Middle East. And are surely discussed in Israel and backrooms within the Middle East and elsewhere.
https://www.counterpunch.org/2024/01/26/how-is-gaza-offshore-gas-development-tied-to-the-israeli-invasion/
https://www.eurasiareview.com/17112023-the-ben-gurion-canal-israels-potential-revolutionary-alternative-to-suez-analysis/
I wish Israel's Netanyahu government was an honest partner - given our support to an "ally" and the billions of dollars annual aid we give. But it is not. Netanyahu has consistently undermined any efforts to create a Palestinian state - or a process to get one. He and his super right-wing partners in the leadership have let the West Bank become lawless with continual violence against Palestinians - their people, towns and their lands. (As documented in NY Times recently.) One of his coalition partners - Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party? - was caught saying that their plan is to take over the West Bank without an official annexation. Just doing it. PM Netanyahu has supported Hamas by allowing many millions of dollars to flow to Hamas while freezing out the Palestinian Authority by giving little support or recognition - all to be able to paint ALL Palestinians as terrorists. Total cynicism. Netanyahu comes to the US to argue his case in Congress. A letter from over 40 former security, government and business leaders of Israel to US leaders sent in last few days - devastated Netanyahu, his US visit, and his role in the October attack and poor planning - or not planning - for the conflict's resolution. No. The US needs to put its foot down and be the "big brother" who acts in Israel's - and the Palestinian's - best interests. Push for a 2 state solution and don't take no for an answer. Need any other suggestions on how to pressure the current Israeli government? Listen to Senator Bernie Sanders - a true patriot. Unaffected by the hidden power of AIPAC. No the current Israeli government is NOT an honest partner with the US.