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Bisect and Besiege
Looks like Israel might — just might — be doing what I propose.
Israeli tanks advanced into the fringes of Gaza City, witnesses said, as the army ramped up its war on Hamas – saying it had killed dozens of militants in hundreds of strikes. Videos circulating on social media showed an Israeli tank and bulldozer in central Gaza blocking the territory’s main north-south highway, which the Israeli military earlier told Palestinians to use to escape the expanding ground offensive.
Published in General1: Gaza itself is about 25×6 miles in dimension. But the middle of Gaza is basically empty. So Israel starts by bisecting Gaza: cut it in half with the army, sealing off the North entirely.
Then Israel besieges the North. Cut off all power, food, water, and especially, communications. Stop all images, video, text… everything. All who want to live just need to go through a checkpoint from North to South, and pass a security check. Then they can go live temporarily in the bottom half of Gaza, while Israel waits for everyone in the North who chose not to surrender, to die.
2: Once the North has no living people left, Israel flips the script. It turns on power and water and food to the North. Israel besieges the South, allowing all who want to live to walk to the North. Same rules of engagement: the checkpoint(s) have strict rules and any violators are shot.
It might be that the plan is to drive tanks around and then kill anyone that shoots at the tanks. The challenge with Gaza is separating the bad guys from the by-standers and this show of force might clarify who is which.
It could work temporarily. I am not sure it will work permanently. Or rather maybe it is better to say it is a good tactic, but not sufficient as a strategy. Israel has to figure out how Gaza is going to be governed. It clearly can’t be governed by the Palestinians anymore. Maybe by a council of countries that have signed the Abraham accords, with Israel getting two votes. Gaza is going to have to become Berlin after the Allied victory in World War 2.
I like the idea of getting “allied” Arab countries involved in the management of Gaza. They should be involved politically and financially. It should be Jordan and Egypt, but I am not certain of Jordan, so perhaps the Saudis instead. I just would be careful that Israel does not give up more than 50% of the decision making.
That is the next step. Comment on a concrete proposal here.
An interesting if long post. I’ll have to consider it more deeply. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
I am concerned that the oatmeal-for-brains advisors surrounding the President will signal their virtue by admitting tens of thousands of refugees to the US. (This on top of all those who will be slipping across our porous boarders.)
Gaza is a local problem that needs a local solution. But if China, Russia, Afghanistan, etc., want to resettle Gazan refugees, than I wouldn’t stand in their way.
Resettle them within THEIR OWN borders, that is. There’s a good chance they’re already trying to resettle them – and others like them – within OURS.
I hope we don’t make that mistake again.