Palestine Views Israel's Proposal to Relocate Gaza Residents to Sinai as a Declaration of War

01 November 2023

Palestinian President's Representative Nabil Abu Rudeineh has stated that the Israeli authorities' consideration of relocating 2.3 million Gaza Strip residents to Egypt's Sinai Peninsula would be a red line for Palestine and equivalent to declaring a "new war." This comes in response to reports in Israeli media indicating the existence of a document from the country's intelligence ministry outlining this idea. The Israeli prime minister's office referred to the document as a "concept paper," presenting it as one of several hypothetical alternatives. The document, dated October 13, was subsequently disclosed in Israeli media.

 

"We strongly oppose any form of forced displacement of people, and we consider this proposal a red line that we will not allow to be crossed. We must prevent a repeat of the tragic events of 1948. Such an idea would essentially be declaring a new war," emphasized the Palestinian leader's spokesperson in response to media reports, as reported by the Associated Press.

 

A source familiar with the document within the agency stated that the document was not legally binding, and there were no substantial discussions within the intelligence agencies regarding its content.

 

According to Times of Israel, the document outlined a concept involving the relocation of Gaza Strip residents to tent camps in the northern Sinai Peninsula. This plan would involve establishing permanent towns in the region and creating a humanitarian corridor. Simultaneously, the Intelligence Ministry suggested the establishment of a special security zone within Israel to prevent Palestinian refugees from entering the country. Notably, the document did not address the fate of the Gaza Strip after the proposed resettlement of its residents. It is worth mentioning that this concept was described as "the most desirable for Israel's security" by the document's authors. However, a government source cited by the newspaper noted that there were no serious deliberations on the document's content.

 

 

GSV "Russia - Islamic World"

Photo: Press service of the Russian Foreign Ministry/TASS

Based on materials from TASS