'Israel' seeks to impose a new Islamic belief on Gaza: Report
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The latest proposal for a post-war plan in Gaza calls for dismantling the Strip's democratic structures and transforming its society into a so-called "moderate Muslim entity" modeled after the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
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Palestinians search for bodies and survivors in the rubble of a residential building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike, in Rafah southern Gaza Strip, on Dec. 20, 2023 (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair, File)
DropSite news published a report on Friday detailing Israeli plans to establish a so-called "moderate Muslim" puppet regime in Gaza.
Such an attempt could be seen as an attempt to coerce or impose a new religious belief on the Palestinians in Gaza, which contradicts Article 18 of the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Article 18
"Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance."
According to the report, "Israel's" post-war strategies for Gaza include options for either a direct Israeli occupation or, as outlined in a recent academic paper, the installation of a "moderate Muslim" regime.
The proposal, which was highly endorsed by Israeli security officials, advocates for dismantling Gaza's democratic institutions and transforming its society into a "moderate Muslim entity" modeled after the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Recommendations include demolishing refugee camps, banning current schoolbooks, and imposing strict media censorship.
It further calls for the elimination of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and replacing it with an Israeli-controlled entity.
Read more: Day 287 in Gaza: 30+ killed as 'Israel' targets civilian homes
Tzachi Hanegbi, head of the National Security Council, told i24 News in a recent interview: "We, at the [Israeli] National Security Council, have read [this] excellent document."
"And at the end of the day we, the decision-makers, will have to take into account this analysis, because it's a brilliant analysis."
According to the four Israeli academics who authored the research paper titled "From a Murderous Regime to a Moderate Society," the proposal had a significant impact within the Israeli leadership.
The paper was distributed to Senior officials in "Israel’s" National Security establishment, staff at the National Security Council, high-ranking members of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF), the Shin Bet intelligence agency, and the five members of the War Cabinet, who were responsible for making final decisions on Gaza policy until its recent disbandment.
The proposal is argued to consolidate lessons learned from four historical regime change operations—in Japan and Germany after World War II, and in Iraq and Afghanistan following US-led invasions.
The authors claim that the system of governance in place before October 7 facilitated the emergence of a "socio-political structure which ... directly benefited Hamas."
The proposal's recommendations include:
- Demolition and Reconstruction: Flattening refugee camps and rebuilding them with Israeli-designed housing.
- Educational and Media Censorship: Removing current textbooks, replacing them with curricula from UAE and Saudi Arabia, and imposing strict media control.
- Humanitarian Aid Control: Establishing Israeli-controlled "humanitarian bubbles" while eliminating existing humanitarian networks.
- Governance and Control: Introducing a limited local government under constant Israeli threat to maintain control.
Read more: HRW’s Gaza report: Fact-check unveils bias and injustice
