Israel’s Plan B for Gazans
By Hassan Hanizadeh
Middle East affairs expert
Operation Al-Aqsa Storm on October 7 was a significant battlefield victory for Palestinian fighting groups, utilizing the element of surprise in war tactics that were uncommon in the past few decades.
Palestinian resistance groups like Islamic Jihad and Hamas – highly experienced in urban and guerrilla warfare – have faced extensive bombardment by Israel in Gaza due to the regime’s inability to counter these combatant groups conventionally. The massive bombardment has killed more than 11,000 civilians, mostly women and children.
Israel initially warned Gazans to evacuate Gaza City and surrounding areas in the northern part of the strip, though the southern part of the besieged territory is not much safer. But the primary goal, in collaboration with the United States, was the forced migration of Gaza’s people to the Sinai Desert in Egypt and the Arabian Desert in Jordan. Egypt and Jordan rejected the forced migration.
It seems that the United States and Western states always have an anti-crisis plan in any situation or, in fact, they have a Plan B. It appears that what Israel and the United States are currently pursuing involves relocating the people of Gaza or certain numbers outside the region.
With Egypt and Jordan opposing the forced migration plan, the relocation of Gazans to eastern provinces of Syria under US control has been suggested, and even relocation to certain European countries like Scotland has been raised. The Scottish government has announced its readiness to accept 500,000 people from Gaza. Israel is also considering handing control of Gaza to international forces while retaining its security oversight.
The people of Gaza and the axis of resistance oppose the relocation plan, viewing it as a violation of their rights and as resistance to Israel’s acceptance of the formation of an independent Palestinian state.
If the US and Israel persist in their inhumane plans, Hezbollah in Lebanon might abandon its restraint, potentially leading to a conflict that could go out of control and, accordingly, the world public opinion would be unlikely to favor the US and Israel.
As the Gaza conflict prolongs and widens, Russia and China may advance their plans in Ukraine and Taiwan, which would not be in the interest of the US and the West. Therefore, American supporters of Israel, being the main backers in the conflict, should exert more pressure on the regime to accept a cease-fire, limit the consequences of the war, and prevent an escalation of the conflict.