The Blogs: How to begin the Gaza endgame | Jonathan Lipow
A year after the Gaza ceasefire, the 20-point plan for disarmament and reconstruction is moribund, writes Jonathan Lipow. He argues that eliminating Hamas's surviving forces is a prerequisite for reconstruction and proposes transferring Gaza's civilian population to Israeli-controlled areas to strip Hamas of human shields, funded by withheld Palestinian tax revenues and West Bank construction workers.
A year after the Gaza ceasefire, the 20-point plan for disarmament, reconstruction, and peace talks is moribund, writes Jonathan Lipow in a blog post. Hamas has not disarmed and has killed hundreds to secure its rule; Israel has expanded its zone of control and is building military installations; the Palestinian Authority remains an unserious institution. The estimated $70 billion reconstruction cost is unlikely to be covered by Gulf states facing their own economic pressures. Lipow argues that eliminating Hamas's surviving forces is a prerequisite for reconstruction, and proposes transferring Gaza's civilian population to Israeli-controlled areas to strip Hamas of human shields. He suggests funding the effort with $5 billion in withheld Palestinian tax revenues and hiring West Bank Palestinian construction workers for the work.