It was obvious to anyone who knew anything about the Israel-Palestine issue that when civilians were marched from Gaza city to Rafah they may not be allowed to ever return. About a million people have been displaced toward Rafah, and they are prevented from returning by the IDF. In April 2024, a large group of Gazans tried to return North only to be fired on by Israeli boats and harassed by jets, forcing them to turn around.
The Gaza strip had previously been partially occupied by Israel in a settlement bloc called Gush Katif. These settlements were removed by Israel in 2005 and replaced with a tighter siege on the Gaza strip. Many Israelis have longed to return, and the events of the current genocide give them an opportunity.
Half of the Gaza strip is now separated by an IDF "deconfliction line." No Palestinian is allowed to cross North. It seems that the Gaza strip will be cut in half and made even more unlivable, and that is probably a best case scenario.
Cramming 2 million people in the Southern half of the Gaza strip in order to settle Israelis in the North will cause a massive humanitarian catastrophe. This assumes that the IDF will not launch a Rafah offensive. However, the IDF and top officials all maintain that a Rafah offensive is imminent.
IDF soldiers are not quiet on their desire to resettle Gaza. It seems a broader policy is at play. Many social media posts from IDF soldiers show Gush Katif flags.
What is Israel's "final solution" for the Gazans? Several (all bad) options emerge. They could simply cut off the Rafah area and make the Gaza strip even more hellish. They could launch an offensive to force the Palestinians into Egypt. They could deport the Palestinians by ship, as has been proposed by some Israelis, much like the Nazi's "Madagascar plan." The worst case scenario is the death of everyone in Gaza. This seems unlikely, but the intent seems to be there.
Ethnic cleansing has already been done in Gaza, is ongoing and appears to be escalating. Meanwhile the collective West provides diplomatic cover and weapons to those engaged in crimes against humanity.
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