Burcu Ozcelik comments on the implications of a possible reoccupation of Gaza by Israel
Comment by Burcu Ozcelik
ISRAEL/GAZA CONFLICT
Assuming the Israeli government’s plans to occupy Gaza are implemented, this would mark the beginning of a bleak and highly volatile new phase of the war with far reaching regional and international implications. Any step toward occupation would clearly undermine and destroy what remains of the prospect for a two-state solution.
"The timing of the Israeli occupation plans constitutes a response and retaliation to European plans to recognise a Palestinian state, and reflects the ongoing failure to agree a ceasefire with Hamas. A full takeover of Gaza would not only jeopardise the lives of the hostages held in Gaza but also entail long-term and immense material, moral and reputational costs to Israel."
"For months, there has been speculation that Israeli security planners and policymakers have been preparing plans to create what some describe as ‘safe zones’ inside Gaza that would mean Israel asserts institutional and long-term security oversight and responsibility to prevent the resurgence of Hamas-linked attacks. The idea behind this is to create what some call a ‘separation’ that would mean Israel has security oversight, and restricts Hamas’s access to humanitarian aid, its ability to mobilise support among the civilian population, or to reconstitute militarily."
"Regardless of whether full-scale occupation plans materialise, one of the most striking implications lies in the widening gulf between Israel’s continued resistance to a two-state framework and the positions of both France and the United Kingdom on the question of Palestinian statehood. This divergence reflects more than a diplomatic disagreement; rather, it signals a growing strategic and normative disconnect between key European powers and the Netanyahu government."
"Unless this rift is addressed through coherent policy coordination or diplomatic recalibration, recent declarations of intent to recognise Palestinian statehood by European governments risk amounting to little more than symbolic posturing — devoid of practical consequence or leverage. While credible and irreversible pathways toward the realisation of a two-state solution are essential, European states must exert pressure on Hamas to fully disarm and demobilise in Gaza if a Palestinian state is to be achieved. Last week’s unanimous denunciation of Hamas by the Arab League, along with calls for it to transfer its arms to the Palestinian Authority and end its rule in Gaza, is a step in the right direction."
Comments by Dr Burcu Ozcelik
