Israel floats programme for ethnic cleansing disguised as humanitarianism

Israel’s intelligence ministry has proposed a “worldwide refugee resettlement scheme” as a “solution” to what the occupation state refers to as its “Gaza problem.” Israeli official, Gila Gamliel, proposed the controversial plan in an article published yesterday in the Jerusalem Post.

Gamliel rejected bringing the Palestinian Authority back to rule Gaza. She said that it has failed before and would fail again. Instead, Gamliel shockingly proposed what appears to be a programme for ethnic cleansing disguised as humanitarianism.

An Israeli victory would be an “opportunity”, explained Gamliel, revealing that her office “has been working diligently on how to proceed the day after Hamas has been defeated and annihilated.”

A Hamas defeat would not solve the problem as far as Israel is concerned, Gamliel argued. “We will still have around two million people in Gaza, many of whom voted for Hamas and celebrated the massacre of innocent men, women, and children,” Gamliel said. “Gaza is a breeding ground for extremism.”

Read: Leaked document shows Israel plan to displace Gazans to Sinai after the war

Gamliel ignored the fact that half of Gaza’s 2.2 million are children and would not have been born or eligible to vote during the last election held in 2006. Nevertheless, Israeli officials have deployed this line of argument to justify their indiscriminate killing. Of the 15,271 Palestinians killed by the Israeli military, 6,403 are children.

The proposal by the international community, including the US, to bring the PA back to Gaza is an “obvious structural flaw,” said Gamliel. She went on to claim that the “PA does not have a markedly different ideology from Hamas.”

After dismissing the return of the PA, Gamliel proposed her thinly veiled plan for ethnic cleansing under the guise of a voluntary humanitarian relocation scheme. Gamliel disingenuously calls on nations supporting Palestinians to help resettle refugees.

“Some world leaders are already discussing a worldwide refugee resettlement scheme and saying they would welcome Gazans to their countries,” Gamliel claimed. “This could be supported by many nations around the world, especially those that claim to be friends of the Palestinians. This is an opportunity for those who say they support the Palestinian people to show these are not just empty words.”

Read: Exposing the plan to complete the Nakba

The Israeli official callously suggests redirecting reconstruction funds away from Gaza towards resettlement costs, so Gazans can be transferred abroad. This completely ignores Israel’s central role in creating the humanitarian disaster through its crippling almost two-decade-long siege and blockade of the enclave.

“Instead of funnelling money to rebuild Gaza or to the failed UNRWA, the international community can assist in the costs of resettlement, helping the people of Gaza build new lives in their new host countries,” said Gamliel, referring to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees.