WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
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AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS
Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to take over the entire Gaza Strip could be given the "green light" by the Israeli cabinet today. Israeli media reports that in that case, the full occupation of the Gaza Strip would last four to five months, with the displacement of about a million Palestinians.
The plan, which is opposed by senior Israeli military officers for fear that it would endanger the lives of Israeli hostages, is reportedly aimed at destroying what is left of Hamas and pressuring the release of the 50 hostages still being held by Hamas, of whom about 20 are believed to be alive, after recent negotiations failed.
According to the Times of Israel, Netanyahu's plan would begin by taking over Gaza City and refugee camps in the central part of the strip, expelling about half of the enclave's population south to the Mawasi humanitarian zone.
Two phases of the plan
According to Channel 12, in the first phase of the plan, Israel will issue an evacuation warning to Gaza City residents – estimated to number around one million – in order to buy time to build infrastructure for displaced citizens in the city center, including hospitals and camps. This phase is expected to last several weeks.
In the second phase, Israel will launch a military offensive, during which US President Donald Trump is expected to give a speech announcing the acceleration of humanitarian aid in coordination with Israel.
Ynet, Kan and Channel 13 reported that the operation is expected to involve four to five divisions of the Israeli army. According to Kan, in addition to Gaza City in the northern part of the strip, the plan is to expand to the camps in central Gaza, where the IDF has had a minimal presence so far.
The civilian population is expected to be further displaced towards the southern part of the strip, while operations will be carried out in areas where Hamas is believed to be hiding hostages, with efforts to avoid harming them.
All versions of the plan, according to the same sources, were presented during a three-hour discussion on Tuesday to a smaller group, where IDF Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Egal Zemir presented Netanyahu with various options for continuing military operations in the Gaza Strip.
The role of aid centers
The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Haki, told Bloomberg on Wednesday that there is pressure to quickly increase the number of aid centers - from the current four to an additional 12, which would also operate under the auspices of Israel and the US.
The expansion would be financed by $ 1 billion in donations from the US and other countries, Channel 12 reported, adding that the goal would be to allow the population of Gaza to receive aid beyond Hamas, while Gaza City would remain under Israeli control.
Kan TV also reported information about an alternative plan also on the table, which envisages encircling Gaza City and the camps in the center, blocking aid to those areas and launching targeted attacks, rather than a full occupation, with the aim of exhausting Hamas.
The disadvantage of this plan would be that it would require more time, but security officials believe it could be the first step towards a full takeover. Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly opposed this option.
