The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed a three-phase plan to restore Gaza to self-governance and rebuild it, integrating it into the regional economy. According to a document published in Hebrew online and circulated by Israeli media, the goal is to achieve "the prosperity of Gaza as part of the regional structure of normalization agreements" and to eliminate the threat it poses as "a frontline stronghold of Iran" that disrupts "the moderate regional structure... and emerging supply chains from India to Europe, undermining any hope for the future of the Palestinian people."
The plan emphasized the historical centrality of Gaza as a crossroads between two ancient trade routes between East and West: the maritime route (Egypt-Gaza-Babylon) and the spice route (India-Yemen-Saudi Arabia-Europe).
**"Three Steps to Success"**
According to the document, there are three steps to restore Gaza to self-governance:
1. The first step, titled "Humanitarian Assistance," is set to last 12 months, during which Israel will establish safe zones free from Hamas control, starting from northern Gaza and gradually spreading southward. An alliance of Arab countries (Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Bahrain, Jordan, and Morocco) will distribute and oversee humanitarian aid in these safe areas, while Palestinians in Gaza will manage them under the supervision of the Arab countries.
2. The second phase will take 5 to 10 years, during which Israel will retain overall security responsibility in Gaza, while Arab countries will establish a multilateral body called the "Rehabilitation Authority" to oversee and fund Gaza's reconstruction. Gazans will manage the "Reconstruction Authority," which will be responsible for administering the safe zones. This phase will coordinate with the implementation of a "Marshall Plan" and a program to combat extremism. It is noted that the Marshall Plan was an American initiative for rebuilding Europe after World War II, which also succeeded in suppressing Nazi ideology in Germany.
3. In the third phase, titled "Self-Governance," Israel will maintain the right to act against "security threats" in Gaza, while authority will gradually be transferred either to a local government in Gaza or a unified Palestinian government (inclusive of the West Bank), dependent on the success of a process to eradicate extremism and disarm Gaza, requiring the agreement of all parties. In the final phase of the plan, Palestinians will independently govern Gaza and join the Abraham Accords.
According to the document, part of the reconstruction efforts will include "building from scratch" and designing new cities "from the ground up," incorporating modern designs and planning. For Gaza's residents, the biggest advantages following the end of Hamas control will be the massive investment in the sector and the provision of numerous job opportunities, alongside a pathway for reunification with the West Bank and the achievement of self-governance.
**The Regional Plan**
The broader regional plan involves intensifying large-scale projects such as "NEOM" in Saudi Arabia and implementing them in Sinai, enabling Gaza to transform into an important industrial port in the Mediterranean, serving as the main center for exporting not only Gazan goods but also Saudi oil and other raw materials from the Gulf.
The plan also calls for the establishment of a vast free trade area encompassing Sderot, Gaza, and Al-Arish, allowing Israel, Gaza, and Egypt to utilize the location cooperatively. By combining new investments in infrastructure and regional integration, the recently discovered gas fields north of Gaza will help support a thriving industry. Additionally, solar fields will be built in Sinai alongside water desalination plants to help mitigate the effects of climate change.
One idea proposed in the plan is to transform Gaza into a major center for electric vehicle manufacturing, hoping that all this integration will help turn not just Gaza, but Al-Arish and Sderot as well, into a competitor against cheap Chinese industries.
It is noteworthy that some observers believe Israel's previously leaked plans to share oversight of Gaza with an alliance of Arab states are unfeasible as they do not create a clear path toward establishing a Palestinian state, which both the Emirati and Saudi governments have stated is a prerequisite for their participation in post-war planning. Others cautiously welcome such an approach, considering it at least indicative of greater flexibility among Israeli leaders than their public statements rejecting a two-state solution suggest.
