In true Trump style, no one saw that coming !
Trump’s announcement this week that the US would take over the Gaza Strip shocked everyone on all sides of the political spectrum . It has been met with both outright rejection and jubilation.
It has become clear since the outbreak of this last war that the pre-October 7th situation cannot be resurrected, and that the ease in which Hamas mounted the attack were caused by the false trust that Israel put into living side by side. There was a great hope that economic benefits would bring about peace and ultimately a Palestinian State. However, It has now been proven by documents discovered that the friendships that the Gazans forged with the local kibbutzim were only a ploy to uncover intelligence to facilitate the planned attack.
Trump’s announcement has certainly brought the Arab world up sharp. They now realise they can no longer manipulate the situation, and if they are not prepared to go into Gaza, clear out the terrorists, introduce a different education system and make the place economically viable, and take responsibility for its future, then there will be no more Gaza as we know it.
Of course, many people are quite sceptical about Trump’s declaration : some even think its a land grab as he can’t get Greenland. More realistically it is the art of the deal : You go in hard with a ridiculous proposals and end up agreeing something much more advantageous than had you started nearer the finishing line.
It is reported that a leading Israeli journalist spoke to a cross section of Gazans who expressed a desire to leave and to start a new life. If they are happy to renounce terrorism and escape the militancy, why should they be denied a new life, especially by countries such as Ireland, Norway and Spain who are such vocal supporters of Palestinians . Their absolute rejection of the Trump plan puts into question their support . Do they support Hamas or are they really the champions of civil liberties and the right to a peaceful family life as they purport to be?
Jordan have said they will declare war on Israel if Gazans are forcefully evicted from the strip, but there has no talk of force, just a voluntarily relocation.
Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia want to see a Palestinian state rather than any relocations, as then they wouldn’t have to absorb radicalised people who don’t fit with their culture. (Although Jordan is mostly Palestinian and many of the Gazans were originally Egyptian ). They are all mostly Sunni so they are homogeneous, but they are unskilled except in terror, and will be a drain on society .
A Palestinian State would permanently endanger Israel while there is no one except terrorists prepared to rule it .
A terror attack on a Jerusalem bus, that emanated from the Fatah controlled area was thwarted today .The PA who still participate in the “pay to slay” scheme have welcomed back released terrorists so they cannot be a serious contender to run Gaza. They are very much a failed experiment, and the three-year Presidency by Abbas is now in its 16th year without a popular vote. He is now just another autocratic dictator, luckily with limited power
Israel sleepwalked into this disaster holding onto the hope of a two state solution and peace. After over 17 years of indoctrination facilitated by UNWRA there is now a radicalised youth in Gaza who truly believe that their salvation lies in killing Jews at any cost. Any two state solution lies dead in the rubble of Gaza.
The link between poverty, deprivations and radicalisation is unquestionable, so the future in Gaza now looks more than bleak, and if the world truly desires peace in the Middle East “we need a new plan Stan” as insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over, but yet expecting a different result.
At this time after 489 days of war, Hamas are no longer a military threat to Israel, which was one of the war aims. Over 30,000 projectiles have been fired at Israel so Hamas’ supplies of rockets and launchers are very low with the smuggling tunnels from Egypt mostly destroyed.
The other two war aims to release all the hostages and to prevent Hamas re-arming are now a work in progress.
Stage one of the hostage release deal is seeing hostages being slowly released , albeit in a staged and monstrously chaotic “Pallywood” with an extremely scary show of Hamas “strength”.
Hamas do not actually have strength, but they do have a controlling grip on the area and the people .
79 hostages remain including the young Bibas children and their mother. As yet no official word on their condition has been received . The father Yaraden was released from one nightmare into another last week, as the chance of his family being alive become slimmer by the hour.
Stories of sexual abuse and violent torture are gradually being told. The whole of Israel are under no illusion as to how critical it is to release every last hostage. Romi Gonen’s mother has told how her daughter received no medical treatment or even pain killers for her bullet wound and now has a paralysed arm.
Hamas have embedded themselves in the West Bank, which is to be known as Judea and Samaria,( its real names ) under the Trump administration, and there is continued fighting in those areas in an attempt to destroy the terrorist cells.
The ceasefire in the north had been extended, but tonight it is reported that Hezbollah have violated the terms and are moving military infrastructure and weapons and the IAF are attacking those areas. Israeli planes are reported over Beirut.
The war is currently on hold while the hostages are being released, with three more due out on Shabbat . The terms of the deal, require the list to be delivered 24 hours before the release, so tomorrow we should know more.
Two IDF reservists were tragically killed in their base this week and the mother of the murderer was congratulated ! Reports of a young Eilati IDF (20) lost in Gaza are coming in.( he has since been laid to rest in Eilat) . An accident in Gaza has claimed two soldier’s lives and injured a further seven. All the time we are losing soldiers and the hostages remain in Gaza this war is not over .
In a positive move Israel will join the US and leave the UN Human Rights Council, who have constantly condemned Israel defending herself and her citizens , while ignoring real human rights violations by Iran, North Korea and other belligerent dictatorial states .
An interesting turn of phrase along with genocide and famine is now circulating with regards to the Trump plan is “Ethnic Cleansing”. No one has suggested killing the Gazans and it seems they are not being told they can never return so it’s stretching it a bit to suggest a plan that would give them a better quality of life, education, and health with new opportunities as ethnic cleansing .
Interestingly if Gaza is their “homeland”, how are they refugees ? If they are refugees then Gaza isn’t their homeland .
Keir Starmer says they must return to their homes . Perhaps he hasn’t noticed that there are no homes to return to and Hamas still have control and are still pledged to destroy Israel by any means possible. On a practical level someone needs to pay to rebuild Gaza, so what does he suggest ? Ten years of tent cities surrounded by unexplored munitions, whilst he taxes the Brits a bit more to send the money to Hamas ?
Something has to change and Trump is thinking outside the box and the world needs to get on board .
Shabbat Shalom
Kind Regards
Carolyne Davis