Far-right members of Israel’s governing coalition on Sunday rejected a U.S.-backed plan for postwar governance in Gaza, criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not annexing the Palestinian territory and establishing new Israeli settlements there.
White House Plan Faces Opposition
Following the announcement of the White House’s selection of world leaders for the so-called Gaza “board of peace,” which includes representatives from Turkey and Qatar – both of whom have been critical of Israel’s war in Gaza – Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich described Netanyahu’s “unwillingness to take responsibility for Gaza” as “the original sin.”
Smotrich, a settler in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, stated that Netanyahu should instead “establish a military government there, to encourage immigration and settlement, and in this way to ensure Israel’s security for many years.”
The White House announced this week the formation of the “Gaza executive board,” which will operate under a broader “board of peace” chaired by Donald Trump as part of his 20-point plan to end the war. The executive board, described as having an advisory role, includes Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, and Qatari diplomat, Ali al-Thawadi, alongside other regional and international officials.
Smotrich said on X that “The countries that inspired Hamas cannot be the ones that replace it. Those who support it and continue to host it even now will not be granted a foothold in Gaza. Period.” He added that Netanyahu “must stand firm on this, even if it requires managing a dispute with our great friend and President Trump’s emissaries.”
Netanyahu convened a meeting with coalition partners on Sunday in an attempt to calm tensions and assess his next move. His central challenge is containing his far-right allies, whose continued participation in the government is key to his political survival and who did not agree to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire last October.
Netanyahu objected to the plan on Saturday, stating that some of the appointments were “not coordinated with Israel and were contrary to its policy,” without specifying which appointments he opposed. He instructed his foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, to contact U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Israel has previously strongly objected to any Turkish role in postwar Gaza, with relations between the two countries having deteriorated sharply since the war began in October 2023.
In addition to naming Turkey’s foreign minister to the executive board, Trump has invited Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Egypt’s President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, and the President of Argentina, Javier Milei, to join the overarching board of peace. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also received an invitation, Pakistan said on Sunday.
The White House said Trump’s plan would include three bodies: the board of peace, chaired by Trump; a Palestinian committee of technocrats tasked with governing Gaza; and the Gaza executive board, which would play an advisory role. The Palestinian technocratic committee held its first meeting in Cairo on Saturday.
A draft charter sent to about 60 countries by the U.S. administration calls for members to contribute $1 billion in cash if they want their membership to last more than three years. The document states that “Each Member State shall serve a term of no more than three years from this Charter’s entry into force, subject to renewal by the Chairman,” and that “The three-year membership term shall not apply to Member States that contribute more than USD $1,000,000,000 in cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force.”
The U.S. said this week that the Gaza truce plan had entered a second phase, shifting from implementing a ceasefire to the disarmament of Hamas, whose attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, triggered the Israeli offensive in Gaza. The focus has shifted to establishing transitional governance, demilitarization, and reconstruction in the territory.
At least 451 Palestinians have been reported killed since the ceasefire took effect in October last year. Life in the enclave remains precarious, with airstrikes and gunfire continuing despite slowing. Recent storms have also compounded the crisis, causing deaths and flooding in displacement camps. Strong winter winds caused walls to collapse on tents housing displaced Palestinians last Tuesday, killing at least four people. On Saturday, a 27-day-old baby in Gaza died from severe cold, bringing the number of children in the region who have died of hypothermia since the start of the current winter season to eight, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
AFP contributed to this report
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