A purportedly leaked document claims Israel plans to send Palestinians to Egypt permanently
Amid the Israel-Hamas war, reports of a purportedly leaked document have created a huge controversy. According to this document, Israel plans to send the people of Gaza to Egypt's Sinai. Wikileaks posted on X that a week after the Hamas attack, Israel's Ministry of Intelligence allegedly prepared the highly controversial 10-page document.
We look at some details in the alleged document:
Plan To Send Palestinians To Egypt
Such a plan could not have been prepared without the knowledge of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The plan talks about sending Palestinians who have been living in Gaza to Egypt's Sinai. The plan describes the ground strategy as such - before the start of the ground offensive on Gaza, Israel will first tell the people of northern Gaza to go to southern Gaza, which Mr Netanyahu did.
Documents Found On Hebrew Website
After this, the operation will start from northern Gaza and move towards southern Gaza. Egypt's Rafah crossing point adjacent to southern Gaza is to be kept empty during the military operation, so that people can go there easily. Tent settlements and cities should be established in the northern area of Sinai in Egypt so that Palestinians can be accommodated there. This document first appeared on Mekomit, a Hebrew website. According to this website, this document has verification from Israel's Ministry of Intelligence.
Benjamin Netanyahu's Office's Denial
Mr Netanyahu's office has said the document is an imaginary exercise and a concept paper. But after this document came to light, both the Palestinian and the Egyptian governments have strongly criticised it. Egypt feels that Israel plans to make Gaza's problem Egypt's problem. The entry of such a large displaced population to Egypt will create issues.
Palestine's Worries
Palestine feels that through such a plan, Israel intends to occupy the entire Gaza and expel them. Nabil Abu Rudaineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said, "We are against sending Palestinians anywhere like this. If such an attempt is made, then it will not be allowed to happen. What happened in 1948 will not be repeated."
Fate Of Most Gaza Residents
During the war before Israel was formed in 1948, some seven lakh Palestinians had to flee their homes and the territory that is now present-day Israel. In Palestine, it is known as "Nakba" or catastrophe. Palestinians fled from the area which is now Israel's territory, locking their homes in the hope that they would return when there would be peace. But till date they have not been able to return. Israel did not allow them to return. The population of those Palestinians is now six million and apart from the West Bank, they are living in refugee camps in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. Most of the residents of Gaza are also Palestinian refugees who fled the border areas of present-day Israel and reached Gaza.
What Israel Army Plans
It is suspected the Israeli army wants to confine the entire Palestinian population to southern Gaza by dividing northern and southern Gaza since the northern area is where Hamas has its major centres. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) likely plan to finish off Hamas completely. Out of the 11 lakh population in northern Gaza, the war has forced some eight lakh people to move to southern Gaza. If Mr Netanyahu's Sinai plan is actually implemented, it will be difficult to stop Arab countries from getting angry.