Netanyahu makes end of Gaza war conditional on Hamas leaving power
The meeting held on 4 February in Washington between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu served to discuss ‘momentous issues’ for the Middle East.
During his visit to the White House, Netanyahu unveiled his plan to end the war in Gaza. This idea, according to US and Israeli sources, involves Hamas handing over power and its leaders leaving the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli leader is seeking to reach an understanding with Trump and his administration regarding the release of the Gaza prisoners and a ceasefire in the region, as well as the modification of some points of the agreement, which do not fully satisfy Israel.
Trump and his proposal on the control of Gaza
Donald Trump himself suggested that the United States should control the Gaza Strip and turn it into the ‘Middle East Riviera’, relocating the Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan.
These two countries, however, have rejected the possibility and have made it clear that they will not allow the relocation of Palestinians on their territory. Also, in a statement from several organisations and countries in the Middle East, they warned that the measure could threaten the stability of the region, risk prolonging the conflict and weaken the prospects for peace and coexistence among its peoples.
For his part, the president of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, ‘vigorously’ rejected Trump's idea and assured that the legitimate rights of the Palestinians were not negotiable. In his statement, he added that Gaza is an integral part of the State of Palestine, so Trump's statements constituted a serious violation of international law.
Negotiations on the agreements
During the first phase of the ceasefire, a pause in the fighting in Gaza and the release of 33 Israeli hostages and approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners had been agreed, as well as an increase in humanitarian aid with 600 lorries a day being sent to the Gaza Strip.
Under the current agreement, 59 hostages (35 of whom have died) will remain in Gaza after the implementation of the first phase of the ceasefire. This is the point that Netanyahu discussed with Trump at their meeting on 4 February. As reported by an Israeli official, the US president assured Netanyahu that his goal was to bring all the hostages home.
The official also clarified that the Israeli prime minister told Trump that he was prepared to engage in serious and substantial negotiations on the second phase of the hostage agreement. All this, in exchange for the release of more hostages after the 42nd day of the ceasefire. Israel, for its part, expressed its willingness to release more Palestinian prisoners, according to a negotiated percentage.
In relation to the above, an Israeli official involved in the hostage release negotiations stated that this measure could result in the release of no more than two or three additional hostages, depending on their state of health, in the first phase of the agreement.
Sources close to the United States also mentioned that Netanyahu indicated that, if the first phase, which was expected to last six weeks, is extended, he will present Hamas with negotiations on the second phase of the agreement that includes the end of the war in Gaza and the release of high-ranking Palestinian prisoners, something that Israel refused to do in the first phase of the agreement.
Netanyahu and Hamas
These same sources added that Netanyahu is also demanding the release of the Hamas hostages in exchange for the transfer of power in the Gaza Strip and the exile of its main leaders, including those who will be released from prison. Meanwhile, another US source confirmed that Netanyahu and the Israeli leadership have developed a plan that includes allowing the main Hamas leaders to go into exile in a third country.
On this, Omer Dostri, the Israeli prime minister's spokesman, mentioned that Netanyahu had not presented any plan for the second phase of the agreement and, on the other hand, senior Israeli officials stated that Hamas had already agreed to relinquish civilian control of Gaza and, in this way, hand over power to the Palestinian Authority or to an independent committee.
However, Hamas said it was not willing to relinquish its military power, nor to dismantle its military wing. In addition, the senior Israeli official stated that the chances of the Hamas leaders in the Strip accepting exile are very low. The latter, according to the official, could lead to a collapse of the agreement on both the release of hostages and the ceasefire and the resumption of war.
In relation to all this, Steve Witkoff, the White House envoy, is expected to meet the Qatari Prime Minister, Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, in Miami on 13 February to discuss the second phase of the hostage agreement.