The New York Times reported Friday that senior officials in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office are exploring a post-war plan in which Israel would share control of the Gaza Strip with the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, alongside the United States.
The report, based on three Israeli sources and five people briefed on the plan with the Israeli government, notes that Israel would do so in exchange for normalization with Saudi Arabia.
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Israel to agree to the plan in exchange for normalization with Saudi Arabia
(Photo: Reuters, AFP, Alex Kolomoisky)
Additionally, it's mentioned that Netanyahu avoided discussing the issue due to disagreements with his government colleagues, but his office worked behind the scenes to craft the proposal.
Arab officials and analysts criticize the power-sharing plan as unworkable, arguing it lacks a clear path to a Palestinian state, a requirement set by the Emirati and Saudi governments for their involvement in post-war planning. However, some cautiously welcome the proposal, seeing it as a sign of greater flexibility among Israeli leaders than their public statements suggest.
According to the proposal, an Arab-Israeli coalition, in collaboration with the United States, would appoint Gaza leaders to rebuild the devastated territory, reform its education system, and maintain order. After a period of seven to ten years, Gazans would vote on whether to join a unified Palestinian administration governing both Gaza and the West Bank. In the interim, the plan allows for continued IDF operations inside Gaza.
The proposal does not clearly specify whether the unified administration would form a sovereign Palestinian state or if it would incorporate the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank. Prime Minister Netanyahu has publicly dismissed the notion of full Palestinian sovereignty and practically dismissed the involvement of the Palestinian Authority.
The Israeli prime minister’s office declined to comment.