TEL AVIV, KOMPAS.com – Israel has informed several Arab countries that it wants to build a buffer zone on the Palestinian side, specifically on the Gaza border, to prevent future attacks.
This is part of a proposal for the enclave after the war ends, Egyptian and regional sources said.
According to three regional sources, Israel linked its plans to neighboring Egypt and Jordan, as well as the United Arab Emirates, which normalized relations with Israel in 2020.
Also read: 6 Arab Countries That Normalized Relations with Israel
Reporting from Reuters, they also said that Saudi Arabia, which has no relations with Israel and which halted the US-mediated normalization process after the Gaza war broke out on October 7, had been informed.
The sources did not say how the information reached Riyadh, which officially has no direct communication channels with Israel.
Turkiye, which is not an Arab country, has also been notified, the sources said.
This initiative does not indicate an immediate end to the Israeli offensive, which resumed on Friday (1/12/2023) after a seven-day ceasefire.
But it shows that Israel is reaching beyond established Arab mediators, such as Egypt or Qatar, in its efforts to shape postwar Gaza.
No Arab country has shown any willingness to supervise or regulate Gaza in the future.
They largely condemned Israeli attacks that have killed more than 15,000 people and leveled large parts of Gaza’s urban areas.
Also read: In Beijing, Foreign Ministers of Arab and Muslim Countries Urge an End to the Gaza War
Hamas killed 1,200 people in the October 7 attack and took more than 200 hostages.
“Israel wants a buffer zone between Gaza and Israel from north to south to prevent Hamas or other militants from infiltrating or attacking Israel,” said a senior regional security official, one of three regional sources who asked not to be named.
Asked about the buffer zone plan, Ophir Falk, a foreign policy adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said the plan was more detailed than that.
Also read: Boycott of Pro-Israel Products Potentially Widespread in Arab Countries
Outlining the Israeli government’s position, he said that the three levels include the destruction of Hamas, demilitarization of Gaza, and deradicalization of the enclave.
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2023-12-02 02:00:00
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