By Jacob Jaffa
Copyright thejc
The details of a plan for Gaza’s future, developed by the Tony Blair Institute (TBI) and backed by the White House, have seemingly been leaked, revealing that the mass displacement of Palestinians would not be on the agenda. Quoting “four sources familiar with the matter”, the Times of Israel unveiled some of the key points of the “day after” plan, which, contrary to previous reports, would not involve moving the population out of Gaza. Instead of the so-called “Trump Riviera”, which was outlined by the US president earlier this year to widespread anger and condemnation, the TBI scheme involves the creation of a “Property Rights Preservation Unit”, which would secure Gazans’ right to remain in the territory. “We do not have a plan to move the Gazan population out of Gaza. Gaza is for Gazans,” one source is reported to have said. The plan would also see the establishment of a Gaza International Transitional Authority (GITA), which would govern the Strip for an indeterminate period, after which control would be handed over to the Palestinian Authority (PA). Blair reportedly met PA President Mahmoud Abbas in July to hammer out the details of the transition, and Ramallah is said to have “engaged constructively” with the proposals. An Israeli delegation is reported to have been similarly accepting, though a Times of Israel’s source suggested that Prime Minister Netanyahu is still seen as a potential hurdle given his fierce public opposition to any PA involvement in Gaza’s future. Another stumbling block is believed to be Saudi Arabia, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman understood to have been angered by Israel’s strike against Hamas leaders on Qatari soil. One Arab diplomat reportedly told the outlet that Saudi and several other Arab states are making their support conditional on an “irreversible pathway to a future Palestinian state”, something which Jerusalem has publicly opposed. The report states that, while Trump gave Blair the go ahead, the former UK prime minister has a “two-week window” to get Riyadh on board.
