Gaza's future uncertain as competing visions emerge

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered the establishment of a new government directorate to promote the "voluntary departure" of Gaza's Palestinian population, the Defense Ministry said Monday.

The directorate will operate within the Defense Ministry and be "dedicated to facilitating" the departure process, according to a statement from the ministry.

"The plan includes extensive assistance to enable any Gaza resident who wishes to emigrate voluntarily to a third country to receive a support package, which includes, among other things, special exit arrangements via sea, air and land," it said.

The move echoes U.S. President Donald Trump's recent plan to transfer Gaza's Palestinian population to neighboring countries.

Katz and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have expressed strong support for the plan, while Palestinians and Arab leaders have condemned it, with some critics equalizing it to ethnic cleansing.

Saudi, Emirati, Jordanian and Egyptian officials are expected to meet later this month to discuss the future of Gaza, hoping to devise a plan to counter Trump's proposal.

Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal, who earlier visited Israel, told Reuters that Jordan's King Abdullah had convinced him that Arab states would present a plan that covers normalizing ties with Israel, self-determination for the Palestinians, regional defense arrangements and security for Israel.

"If those components are part of a realistic plan, it could be a game changer for the region," Blumenthal said.

So far, at least four proposals have been drafted for Gaza's future, with an Egyptian proposal emerging as central to the Arab push for an alternative to Trump's idea, Reuters reported, citing one anonymous Arab government source.

The latest Egyptian proposal involves forming a national Palestinian committee to govern Gaza without Hamas involvement, international participation in reconstruction without displacing Palestinians abroad, and movement toward a two-state solution, Reuters reported, citing three Egyptian security sources.

Niu Xinchun, a professor at Ningxia University's China-Arab Research Institute, told China Media Group that based on what's been disclosed, the Egyptian plan includes a government made up of technocrats in Gaza, with neither Hamas nor Fatah participating, and an Arab peacekeeping force to secure regional security during post-war reconstruction.

The Egyptian plan is very similar to previous proposals by Israel and the United States, Niu said, adding that Egypt is the only country, except Israel, that borders Gaza, so Egypt's plan is now receiving special attention.

However, Niu cautioned that it would be very difficult to implement either of the plans, because the premise of all those plans is that Hamas will not participate in Gaza's reconstruction.

Despite the pendent Gaza post-war reconstruction, the humanitarian needs in the war-devastated enclave are overwhelming, UN humanitarian agency said on Monday, adding that the Israeli operations in the West Bank were still producing casualties.

"As the UN and its humanitarian partners continue to deliver life-saving assistance across the Gaza Strip, the scale of needs remains overwhelming, requiring urgent and sustained support," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

OCHA said the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that oxygen supplies are critically needed to keep emergency, surgical and intensive care services running at hospitals throughout Gaza, including Al Shifa and Al Rantisi in Gaza City. Health partners are engaging with the authorities to bring in generators, spare parts and equipment required to produce oxygen locally.

In the West Bank, OCHA said that since the Israeli military operations began on January 21, the operations are causing high casualties and significant displacement, especially in refugee camps. Critical infrastructure has also been severely damaged, driving humanitarian needs even higher.

(With input from agencies)