UN Draft Opens the Door for a Palestinian State, While Israel Closes It with Rejection

SadaNews - Israeli Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, confirmed on Sunday that "Israel's policy is clear: there will be no Palestinian state." He added that "Gaza will be disarmed down to the last tunnel, and Hamas will be disarmed in the yellow zone by the Israeli army, and in the old Gaza Strip through an international force or the Israeli army itself."

In a notable development, for the first time, the term "Palestinian state" has been mentioned in a draft presented to the UN Security Council regarding the international security force intended to be deployed in Gaza, according to a document seen by AFP on Thursday.

The draft states that "after faithfully implementing the Palestinian Authority reform program, and making progress in the reconstruction of Gaza, conditions may finally be available for a reliable path towards Palestinian self-determination and the establishment of a state." It also stipulates that "the United States will initiate a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to reach a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous coexistence."

It is noteworthy that this phrasing matches the Gaza plan supported by Washington, but this is the first time the name of a Palestinian state is mentioned in the body of the main resolution rather than in its annex.

Ben Gvir's Statements: Denying the Existence of the Palestinian People

For his part, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir attacked the idea of a Palestinian state, stating: "There is no such thing as a Palestinian people; this is a fabrication with no historical, archaeological, or factual basis."

He added: "The influx of immigrants from Arab countries into the land of Israel does not constitute a people, and they certainly do not deserve a reward for the terrorism, killing, and atrocities they have sown everywhere, especially from Gaza where they received self-governance."

Ben Gvir emphasized that "the only real solution in Gaza is to encourage voluntary emigration, not to create a state of terror that will constitute the basis for the continuation of terrorism." He affirmed that his party, "Otzma Yehudit," would not be part of any government that agrees to the establishment of a Palestinian state, calling on the Prime Minister to make a clear statement that Israel will not allow the establishment of this state in any form.

Smotrich Pressures Netanyahu: A Decisive Response is Required

In this context, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating: "It has been two months since you returned from the United States without responding to the recognition by a number of countries of a Palestinian state as you promised."

Smotrich called on Netanyahu to "formulate a deterrent and decisive response that makes it clear to the whole world that a Palestinian state will not be established on our birthplace."

Thus, the statements of Katz, Ben Gvir, and Smotrich combine to portray a unified Israeli political scene that firmly rejects any path towards establishing a Palestinian state, even with its inclusion for the first time in an official UN text.