The former head of Israeli military intelligence on Thursday expressed doubts about the success of the United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump’s plan to take over the Gaza Strip and relocate Palestinians to other areas.
“An extremely favorable plan has been presented to Israelis here, and I hope it will come to fruition. However, I think the chances of that happening are very slim, and it also involves risks,” said Amos Yadlin, who led Israeli military intelligence from 2006 to 2010.
On Tuesday, the U.S. president stated at a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. would “take over” Gaza and relocate Palestinians to other areas as part of an emergency reconstruction plan, which he claimed could turn the enclave into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
His proposal was met with widespread condemnation from Palestinians, Arab countries, and many other states around the world, including Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom (UK).
Yadlin said that Trump repeatedly emphasized the importance of securing the return of Israeli captives held by Palestinian groups in Gaza.
“I think he (Trump) gave Netanyahu a tool to move to the next phase of the (prisoner exchange) agreement. Trump essentially worked on stabilizing the Israeli government, which was at risk of collapsing due to (Finance Minister Bezalel) Smotrich,” Yadlin said.
Smotrich had threatened to bring down the Israeli government if it did not continue the war in the Gaza Strip.
Yadlin believes that Trump sold Smotrich “illusions” about relocating Gaza’s population to enable a transition to the next phase of the truce in Gaza.
The former intelligence chief, however, supports the idea of expelling Palestinians from Gaza, even “far from the Middle East,” but said the chances of Trump’s plan succeeding are very limited.
Trump has repeatedly suggested that Palestinian refugees from Gaza should be accepted by neighboring Arab countries, such as Egypt and Jordan, a proposal that has been rejected by both Arab states and Palestinian leaders.
His proposal for the relocation of Palestinians from Gaza came after a ceasefire agreement in the enclave took effect on January 19th, temporarily halting the Israeli war, which has killed more than 47.500 people, wounded over 111.000, and left the enclave in ruins.
The United Nations (UN) announced today that more than 565,000 people have crossed from the south to the north of Gaza since January 27.
Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), spokesman Stephane Dujarric told a press conference that “more than 45,000 people have been observed moving from the north to the south of the Gaza Strip.”
He said the UN and its partners on the ground were “working to mitigate the impact of the widespread destruction of critical water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure that has occurred across the Gaza Strip.”
Asked about US President Donald Trump’s upcoming executive order to withdraw from the UN Human Rights Council and block funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Gaza (UNRWA), Dujarric said:
“Obviously we will see what is signed properly. But the US will make the decision it makes. That does not change our position on the importance of the Human Rights Council.”
Describing the executive order as “something that is very new,” Dujarric affirmed that the decision would not change “the UN’s commitment to supporting UNRWA in its work and in its work to provide critical services to Palestinians under its jurisdiction, its mandate.”
U.S. funding for UNRWA was suspended in 2024 under the Joseph Biden administration after Israel accused 12,000 UNRWA staff in Gaza of involvement in a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Amid the investigation into the allegations, at least 16 countries, including the U.S., have paused or suspended funding for the agency, and its aid is working to help the famine-stricken population of Gaza.
Most key donors have continued to provide aid, after an independent audit of UNRWA found that Israel had provided no evidence to support their claims.
UNRWA was established by the UN General Assembly more than 70 years ago to assist Palestinians forcibly displaced from their land.
Israel has ordered UNRWA to suspend all operations in East Jerusalem by Thursday, in accordance with a directive conveyed in a letter from Israel’s permanent representative to the UN, Danny Danon, to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on January 24.
Following the order, UNRWA evacuated its headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem, where it has operated since 1951, as well as a clinic in the Old City and several schools, including a vocational training center.
The move came amid rising tensions between Israel and international organizations, as several UN bodies continue to express concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and the West Bank, AAwrites.
