Recognise Gaza as independent state says former Israeli major general

A former head of Israel’s National Security Council has urged the government to recognise and treat the Gaza Strip as a de-facto independent state.

Writing in Yediot Ahronoth, former Major-General Giora Eiland argued that Israel needs to take the “initiative, on the basis that “the situation [in Gaza] is unstable and could deteriorate very soon”.

According to Eiland, Gaza “has been a de-facto independent state” since 2007, with “a defined area; an efficient central government; an independent foreign policy; and an army of its own”.

Moreover, he continued, “Israel has no political, economic or territorial interests concerning Gaza, but only a security interest to maintain calm” – but “Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas isn’t interested in the strip’s reconstruction”.

Read: Hamas must transfer control of Gaza Strip

Overall, Eiland argued, “Israel must change its policy and acknowledge the fact that it has an independent state named Gaza on its border”, and “should encourage Western and Arab states to invest in Gaza’s reconstruction, together with the Hamas government rather than behind its back”.

#EndGazaSiege

“Israel has no interest in turning the two areas [the Gaza Strip and West Bank] into one state”, he concluded.

Under international law, and the Oslo Accords to which Israel is a signatory, the Gaza Strip is a part of the occupied Palestinian territory, and remains under Israeli military occupation.

Since the removal of settlers from the Gaza Strip, and following Hamas’ victory in the 2006 elections, Israel has treated the Gaza Strip as a ‘hostile entity’ – neither under occupation, nor independent.