Reported from the source

Quick summary: The Trump administration has launched an ambitious blueprint for Gaza’s future, envisioning a unified, Palestinian-run territory with modern infrastructure and a focus on disarming Hamas. The plan, presented in Davos, aims to establish a single authority for weapons and outlines short-term goals for infrastructure restoration and increased aid flow. However, it faces immediate challenges, including the crucial reopening of the Rafah crossing and significant internal Israeli opposition.

Amid the launch of Donald Trump’s “board of peace” in Davos, his administration detailed specific plans for Gaza’s short- and long-term future, aiming for lasting peace. The blueprint, presented by Jared Kushner, envisages a unified Palestinian-run Gaza, a move that rebuffs Israeli extremists advocating for population deportation and settlements. The plan’s success hinges on Trump’s determination to overcome Israeli objections and the creation of a mechanism to disarm Hamas. The vision includes a futuristic landscape of gleaming apartment blocks, office towers, industrial parks, residential districts, and even an airport, though a buffer zone along the Israeli border would be created. Short-term goals for the next 100 days include restoring basic infrastructure such as water, sewage, electric systems, hospitals, and bakeries, alongside a significant increase in goods entering Gaza. The critical Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt is slated to open next week for the first time since May 2024, with Kushner committing the US administration to these goals. Implementation largely falls to the newly formed National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a panel of Palestinian non-partisan technocrats chaired by Ali Shaath. Shaath stated the NCAG’s mission is to “restore order, to rebuild institutions and to recreate a future for the people of Gaza defined by opportunity and dignity under the principle of one authority, one law and one weapon.” The “one weapon” clause means all weapon possession in Gaza would be authorized solely by the NCAG. Hamas has reportedly agreed in principle to hand over heavy weapons and accept the NCAG, which would require the NCAG and a Palestinian police force, trained in Jordan and Egypt, to enter Gaza. Notably, the plan omits the international stabilization force (ISF) from previous proposals, focusing instead on the new Palestinian police force. Heavy weapons would be “decommissioned immediately,” and personal arms registered and decommissioned as NCAG police become capable of guaranteeing security. The immediate test for the blueprint will be the opening of the Rafah crossing next week, which faces considerable opposition within Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet, particularly until the remains of the last unaccounted-for Israeli hostage are returned. Further internal opposition is expected regarding the establishment of a Palestinian interim government, as the far-right seeks to empty and annex the territory. The plan does not explicitly state Gaza would be part of a sovereign Palestinian state but does not exclude a unified Palestine. The Israeli army is expected to withdraw progressively from Gaza territory in phases, though details on the standards for this withdrawal are lacking. Trump’s personal investment in the ceasefire he brokered last year is seen as a potential driving force to overcome these substantial hurdles.

Source: www.theguardian.com