Eyal Ofer, a specialist on Hamas’s economy, told Maariv that President Donald Trump’s proposal for rebuilding Gaza would not burden him the way it would affect Israelis.
“The biggest problem, as with any real estate contract, is that Israelis are dazzled by the presentation, but do not read the fine print,” Ofer said.
He explained that “the Israeli media rushed to sell the public a new-old dream, that two million Gazans will leave the Strip. This idea appeals to many. The truth must be said, if it were practical, and without accusations against Israel of ethnic cleansing, many would welcome it.”
Ofer added that Israelis have long imagined breaking away entirely from Gaza, joking that if it were possible to physically detach the Strip and let it drift into the sea, “we would have done so.”
“Reading the fine print of Trump’s plan shows that only 25% of Gazans would leave, and even they would be allowed to return once Trump’s evacuation and reconstruction is completed,” Ofer explained.
“And what about the other 75%? Where will they go? According to the presentation of the plan published by The Washington Post, they remain in Gaza in ‘secured areas’ where food will be distributed and health and education infrastructure set up for them, meaning temporary rehabilitation for the 10 years during which permanent buildings will be constructed for them, castles in the air.”
According to Ofer, Jared Kushner — Trump’s son-in-law and the architect behind the plan — suggested that Israel establish special camps for Gazans in the Negev.
“On one hand, Gazans would see this as realizing a ‘right of return’ to Israel, and on the other hand, it’s not hard to imagine how they would use this for propaganda, since the camps would certainly be surrounded by barbed wire, walls, and armed guards to prevent Gazans from spilling into the rest of Israel,” Ofer said.
“After ten years of evacuation and reconstruction, any Gazan family that wishes could return. Kushner explicitly states that Israel did not object to their return. Each Gazan family would receive an apartment in luxury towers valued by real estate estimates at half a million to one million dollars for large families.”
Under those circumstances, Ofer asked rhetorically, why anyone would choose to leave in the first place.
“And at the end of construction, the plan speaks of transferring responsibility to a renewed Palestinian Authority. Sounds familiar.”
Ofer also raised concerns about what would happen before any evacuation even begins, pointing out that the IDF would face the challenge of a million Gazans refusing to move. He said the army would end up providing security for demolition teams operating inside the area.
“Practically, this is a mission for tens of thousands of soldiers for many years, during which every week we will wake up to another ‘cleared for publication’ announcement as Hamas guerrilla operations and explosives wait in every alley.”
“There is no doubt this is a wonderful plan for real estate developers from Miami, but someone forgot what Gaza’s population really is, what the Palestinian ethos is, and how deeply Gazan society is religious and inseparable from Hamas’s ideology,” Ofer warned, stressing that Gazans are bound by religious directives instructing them to “cling to the land and continue jihad until the total destruction of Israel.”
“Anyone who thinks a real estate project, comfortable life, and economic welfare are the solution to Gaza’s hatred of Israel, I have a suitcase full of Qatari humanitarian dollars to sell him. The suitcase is used but in good condition. Model 2018. First hand, wrapped in a shiny cellophane conception.”
