Israel proposes Gaza redeployment plans, worrying Egypt
Israel has proposed various military redeployment plans which would maintain an Israeli military presence in Rafah, near the Egyptian border, raising concerns among Egyptian officials, according to The Arab Weekly plus agencies on July 14th.
One of the maps contained within the plan, which was recently leaked, displays significant Israeli control over the area in southern Gaza between the Morag and Philadelphi corridors.
The initial proposal tabled by Israel granted Israel control of roughly 40% of the entire Gaza strip at a depth of two to three kilometres. However, the futility of such a proposal was clear as Israel knew that Hamas would immediately reject it. This is because it simultaneously represents a reversal of the earlier January withdrawal and a direct threat to Egyptâs national security. Furthermore, it would undermine the peace treaty which prohibits Israeli military presence along the buffer zone which covers the Egyptian and Palestinian sides of Rafah.
Reports on July 13th claim that the Israeli delegation in Doha is preparing a revised map to be proposed during negotiations. It will outline a reduced Israeli military presence, but it still violates the conditions of the January agreement. The former agreement, which fell apart in March, excluded the Morag corridor, which was unilaterally established in May by Israel. But the country now views it as a key security asset which cannot be surrendered under any circumstance.
Egypt is yet to publicly comment on Israelâs proposal, which directly contradicts Cairoâs position: total Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and zero presence in the Philadelphi corridor. According to Arab media, Egyptâs security delegation, which is mediating negotiations in Doha, articulated clear opposition to the redeployment plans. They condemned them as an extreme and illegitimate encroachment into Gaza.
Egypt interprets Israelâs mapping strategy as a coercive negotiation tactic seeking to force Hamas to lower its expectations. The inconsistent Israeli approach to the negotiations, fluctuating between pessimism and cautious optimism, indicates that Tel Aviv has no intention of making any concessions in goodwill. Rather, it is seeking to maintain control over the Gaza Strip and force Hamas to agree to disarm.
US special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, labelled the redeployment plans as âSmotrich mapsâ, referring to the extreme-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who firmly opposes any military withdrawal from Gaza or any ceasefire deal.
Observers suspect that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is subtly appeasing Smotrichâs hardline base â especially since Israel’s Likud party is aligning itself with Smotrichâs dream of officially annexing the West Bank.
Various American media outlets have reported that US President Donald Trump has urged Hamas not to fixate on the Israeli redeployment plans, which appears to be an attempt to downplay their importance and present them as domestic reshuffling. Some analysts caution that dismissing the maps as minor manoeuvres could greatly diminish Hamasâ leverage. It could also politically humiliate Egypt, who has thus far maintained public silence regarding the maps whilst simultaneously reinforcing border security in the Sinai.
The core objective of Israelâs plans are reportedly obvious: to reestablish a large Israeli military presence in Gaza, satisfy the far-right figures in Netanyahuâs coalition, and guarantee freedom of movement for the Israeli military in and out of the Gaza Strip â all without committing to a lasting truce. This would grant Israel a vast strategic advantage should it abandon diplomacy once more.
Egypt interprets Israelâs approach to be one of cartographic brinkmanship and is resisting involvement. Officials are waiting for Netanyahu to declare an agreement, or any position, regarding a proposed 60-day ceasefire. Hamas is unlikely to accept any redeployment plans which increase Israel’s military presence, which allows Egypt to maintain an appearance of neutrality.
However, Cairo may soon be forced to confront a rather more serious development than troop redeployment in southern Gaza. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant recently proposed a plan to build a so-called âhumanitarian cityâ in the southern city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, which would contain up to 600,000 Palestinians just kilometres away from the Egyptian border. This represents a far greater threat to Egyptâs national security as the presence of such a large population in such deprived conditions has raised concerns over forced displacement into the Sinai.
Egypt has not yet publicly commented on the plan; however it directly clashes with Cairoâs strategic interests and push to implement durable peace in Gaza. Much doubt revolves around the logistical feasibility of the proposal as the Israeli military has reportedly refused to secure the site or deliver aid to the camp, not to mention the estimated annual cost of over $7 billion. The proposal was met with global outrage, with critics labelling it as a vast internment camp, which harms Israelâs own historical narrative and raison d’ĂȘtre of protecting Jewish people from the suffering they endured under Nazi-era concentration camps.
Tabling maps at negotiations is not as complex a process as actually implementing plans. The latter requires complex legal arrangements which may expose Israel to heightened international scrutiny over its obligations as an occupying power. This type of exposure has been actively suppressed by Israel, evident by its near-constant killing of Palestinian journalists reporting from within Gaza.
A surge in Israel’s military presence in Gaza would undoubtedly raise questions on Israelâs intentions as it would make it appear as though Israel is preparing to fulfil ambitions well beyond dismantling Hamas â most likely to enforce mass displacement of Palestinians out of Gaza. Donald Trumpâs plan to forcibly resettle Gazans has been publicly endorsed by Netanyahu on multiple occasions.
Egypt understands that these Israeli moves are partially driven by internal political considerations, which may even amount to resistance within the Israeli government to committing to a hostage exchange agreement with Hamas. This internal friction risks derailing the Doha negotiations and prolonging the devastating assault on Gaza. This would also likely delay the normalisation process that Trump is eager to accelerate between Israel and Arab states, where Egypt maintains a critical role.
The Arab Weekly plus agencies, Maghrebi.org
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