Gaza's Future: Israel's Bold Plan

The four-corner plan by Israel’s defense minister is a strategy for dealing with the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by the militant group Hamas. The plan has three phases, according to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant

Hamas Logo

• The first phase is to destroy Hamas’s military capabilities, including its rocket launchers, tunnels, command centres, and weapons depots. This phase is expected to last for several days or weeks, depending on the intensity of the fighting and the level of international pressure.
• The second phase is to create a new security regime in Gaza, which would involve the participation of regional and international actors, such as Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and the European Union. The goal is to prevent Hamas from rearming and to provide humanitarian and economic assistance to the Gazan population. This phase could take months or years to implement, depending on the political will and the security situation.
• The third phase is to end Israel’s responsibility for Gaza under international law, which means that Israel would no longer be considered an occupying power in the territory. This would require a political agreement with the Palestinian Authority, which is based in the West Bank and is recognized by most of the world as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. This phase is the most difficult and uncertain, as it depends on the willingness of both sides to resume negotiations and to make compromises on the core issues of the conflict, such as borders, security, refugees, and Jerusalem.

The four corner plan is a controversial and ambitious proposal, which faces many challenges and risks. Some of the potential obstacles include:

The resistance of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, who may not accept the terms of the cease-fire or the new security regime, and who may continue to launch attacks against Israel or other targets.

The reaction of the Palestinian public, especially in the West Bank, who may see the plan as a way of dividing and weakening the Palestinian cause, and who may demand more political rights and representation from the Palestinian Authority.

The opposition of some Israeli political parties and groups, who may oppose any concessions to the Palestinians, such as withdrawing from some settlements or sharing Jerusalem, and who may prefer to annex parts of the West Bank or to maintain the status quo.

The involvement of other regional and international actors, who may have different agendas and interests, and who may not be able to coordinate effectively or to provide sufficient support and guarantees for the plan.

The four races in Israeli and Palestinian societies — between polarization and unity of purpose; between moderation and extremism; between hope and despair; and between stagnation and change — reflect grave challenges that need to be addressed to achieve a lasting and peaceful resolution of the conflict. The four-corner plan by Israel’s defense minister is one possible way of trying to break the cycle of violence and to create a new reality in Gaza, but it is not the only one. Ultimately, the fate of the plan, and of the region, depends on the choices and actions of the leaders and the people on both sides. Palestine will be free one day. The people of Gaza will not accept this nor Hamas. Right now Gaza is the cemetery of the Merkava tanks.