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Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has outlined a “new vision” for Israel’s relations with the Gaza Strip this week. In a major speech, Lapid unveiled a two-stage plan in Gaza to improve the enclave’s humanitarian situation and weaken the Hamas terror group.
Framing Israel’s new initiative as a “multi-year process in Gaza of economy in return for security”, Lapid proposed rehabilitating Gaza’s infrastructure in exchange for tight international oversight – as well as long-term quiet from Hamas.
Lapid argued that by beginning a diplomatic process in Gaza, Israel could help to create more favourable conditions for eventual peace talks. Israel, in coordination with the international community, seeks to facilitate the rebuilding of Gaza’s electricity, water, health care, housing and transport.
This first phase will include connecting Gaza’s gas infrastructure to regional supplies and the construction of a water desalination plant. In the second stage of Lapid’s plan, the two sides would see more ambitious projects, including an artificial port island built off the coast of the enclave and the West Bank and Gaza would be linked by infrastructure and transport projects.
Israel also intends to create joint economic projects with Egypt and the PA, industrial and employment zones near the Erez Crossing, and encourage international investment within Gaza. The intention is for the Palestinian Authority to take over civil and economic administration in the Gaza Strip.
Announcing the plan, Lapid said: “This is not a proposal for negotiations with Hamas. Israel will not award prizes to a terrorist organisation and weaken the [Palestinian] Authority that works with us on a regular basis”.
He added: “The international community and the people of Gaza need to know that Hamas terrorism is what’s standing between them and a normal life… We need to tell Gazans at every opportunity – Hamas is leading you to ruin. No-one will come and invest real money, and no-one will try to build an economy in a place from which Hamas fires and which Israel strikes on a regular basis”.
The announcement was immediately rejected by Palestinian Authority Prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh and Hamas, but an unnamed PA official has since heralded it as “the new Oslo [Accords]” which could “save Gaza”, in an interview with The Times of Israel. A rocket was fired by Gazan terrorists shortly after the speech which was intercepted by the Iron Dome missile-defence system.
