The Israeli newspaper "Israel Hayom" revealed a new plan being prepared by the U.S. Congress that links significant financial aid for several Arab countries, primarily Egypt, in exchange for accepting refugees from Gaza. The Hebrew newspaper added that the plan, which its architects are attempting to keep out of the media spotlight, has been presented to senior members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate from the Democratic and Republican parties.
The Israeli newspaper clarified that the plan is being promoted by U.S. Congressman Joe Wilson. The American plan indicates that "Israel seeks to avoid harming civilians, but Hamas does not allow refugees to leave, and Egypt does not agree to open its borders." According to the American plan being drafted, "the only ethical solution is to ensure that Egypt opens its borders and allows the entry of refugees."
The plan suggests allocating one billion dollars from foreign aid for the benefit of Gaza refugees who will be permitted to enter Egypt. It proposes that Egypt should not be the only country required to accept refugees, as Iraq and Yemen should also be included in the plan in exchange for about one billion dollars in U.S. foreign aid, with Turkey receiving more than 150 million dollars.
"Israel Hayom" added that each of these countries will receive sufficient foreign aid and has a large enough population to be able to accommodate refugees representing less than 1% of their populations. The architects of the plan are urging the U.S. government to allocate this financial assistance to Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, and Turkey, contingent upon accepting a certain number of refugees.
The plan details the number of Gaza residents each country will host: one million in Egypt (0.9% of its population), half a million in Turkey (0.6% of the Turkish population), 250,000 in Iraq (0.6%), and 250,000 in Yemen (0.75% of the Yemenis). The Hebrew newspaper noted that since 2011 and the ongoing Syrian civil war, 6.7 million Syrians have fled Syria to surrounding countries, with 3.2 million being relocated to Turkey, 789,000 to Lebanon, 653,000 to Jordan, and 150,000 to Egypt, while other countries in the Middle East and Europe have welcomed hundreds of thousands.
