Israeli far-right leaders discuss ‘riviera’ plans for war-ravaged Gaza

Some Israeli far-right leaders held a public meeting on Tuesday to discuss redeveloping Gaza into a tourist-friendly “riviera”, as Palestinians face a worsening humanitarian crisis in the devastated territory. The meeting, titled “The Riviera in Gaza: From Vision to Reality”, was held in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, under the auspices of some of its most hardline members. It saw the participation of firebrand Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, as well as activist Daniella Weiss, a vocal proponent of Jewish settlements in Gaza, among others. The name of the event evokes a proposal floated by US President Donald Trump in February to turn the war-ravaged territory into “the Riviera of the Middle East” after moving out its Palestinian residents and putting it under American control. The idea drew swift condemnation from across the Arab world, and from Palestinians themselves, for whom any effort to force them off their land would recall the “Nakba”, or catastrophe – the mass displacement of Palestinians during Israel’s creation in 1948. Participants in Tuesday’s Knesset meeting discussed a “master plan” drafted by Weiss’ organisation to re-establish a permanent Jewish presence in Gaza. The detailed plan foresees the construction of housing for 1.2 million new Jewish residents, and the development of industrial and agricultural zones, as well as tourism complexes on the coast. Eight Israeli settlements located in various parts of Gaza were dismantled in 2005 as part of Israel’s unilateral decision to “disengage” from Gaza following years of violence between settlers, Palestinian armed groups and the army. For the past two decades, a small but vocal section of Israeli society has urged the resettlement of Gaza. Those voices have become louder after Palestinian militant group Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, with advocates presenting resettlement as a way to maintain tighter security control over the area. Meanwhile, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff was heading to the Middle East on Tuesday as the US tries once again to reach a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters that Witkoff was going to the region with a “strong hope” that the US can deliver a ceasefire deal as well as a new humanitarian corridor for aid distribution. “I would suggest that we might have some good news, but, again, as we know, this could be a constantly changing dynamic,” Bruce said. Bruce did not have other details about where Witkoff would be going or what he had planned. It comes as Gaza saw its deadliest day yet for aid-seekers in more than 21 months of war, with at least 85 Palestinians killed while trying to reach food on Sunday. The Israeli army has said it fired warning shots, but says the reported death toll was greatly inflated. The United Nations’ food agency accused Israeli forces of firing on the crowd of Palestinians seeking humanitarian aid. Bruce said the incident that took place while civilians were trying to reach aid entering through the Zikim crossing with Israel is “absolutely horrible” and reinforced why the US is pushing for a new humanitarian corridor to be created as part of any truce. The sides have held weeks of talks in Qatar, reporting small signs of progress but no breakthroughs. Officials have said a main sticking point is the redeployment of Israeli troops after any ceasefire takes place. The US plan calls for a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release some hostages while Israel would free Palestinian prisoners and allow a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza. During the 60 days, the sides are also to begin negotiations on a permanent end to the war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until Hamas yields power and is disarmed, while Hamas says it will not release all of the hostages until the war is over. It is seeking assurances that Netanyahu will not resume the war after the 60 days, as he did in March after an early ceasefire expired. Hamas is holding 50 hostages – 20 of whom are believed to still be alive. The October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an Agence France-Presse tally based on official figures. Israel’s ensuing military campaign in Gaza has killed 59,106 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Additional reporting by Associated Press

Israeli far-right leaders discuss ‘riviera’ plans for war-ravaged Gaza

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}As Palestinians face dire humanitarian conditions, a Knesset meeting discusses luxury resorts and Jewish settlement for Gaza

As Palestinians face dire humanitarian conditions, a Knesset meeting discusses luxury resorts and Jewish settlement for Gaza