Netanyahu States Opposition to Palestinian State

Facts

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a news conference on Thursday that he has told the US he opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of any postwar plan, adding that Israel would only agree to gaining security control over 'all territory west of the Jordan,' including the Gaza Strip.¹
• When asked by reporters, Netanyahu asserted that plans in an NBC report being prepared by the US would inevitably include the creation of a Palestinian state after he leaves office. He has claimed most Israelis oppose this, citing territories that have been transformed into bases for attacks on Israel after its withdrawal. Another question saw him state that Israel was currently attacking Iran, as opposed to its proxies.²
• In contrast, the Financial Times reported on Thursday that Arab states are working on a comprehensive solution to the war in Gaza that would include a ceasefire, the release of all Israeli hostages in Gaza, and a path for Israel to normalize its relations with the Arab world in exchange for “irreversible” steps towards the creation of a Palestinian state. Such a deal would also include the US and European states formally recognizing a Palestinian state or supporting Palestinians being granted full membership of the UN.³
• Meanwhile, the European Parliament has voted 312 to 131, with 72 abstentions, for a non-binding resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, on the condition that the Palestinian militant group be dismantled and all its hostages be released. This marks the first time it has called for a ceasefire since the war began.⁴
• On Wednesday, Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi said that the likelihood that Israel will go to war in Lebanon against Hezbollah is 'higher than before.' While speaking to Israeli troops near the Lebanese border, he said that Israel was increasing its 'readiness' for conflict in Lebanon and had learned many 'lessons' during its campaign in Gaza in recent months that would sharpen its tactics against Hezbollah.⁵
• In addition to the high death toll in Gaza, it is now believed that around 1.25M displaced Palestinians are living in unhygienic and cramped conditions, mainly in tent camps in Rafah, just off Gaza's border with Egypt. Satellite images show that northwest Rafah is now completely packed with displaced people, with a UN official saying that the city has become 'covered with plastic sheeting.' A lack of leadership and organization in the camps makes it particularly difficult for aid to be distributed and essential services to be accessed.⁶

Sources: ¹The Guardian, ²The Times of Israel, ³Financial Times, ⁴Associated Press, ⁵New York Post and ⁶The New York Times.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by POLITICO. The US is doing everything it can to both ensure that Israel can eliminate Hamas's military capabilities and prevent regional escalation. Israel must be able to defend itself from terrorist attacks, whether from Gaza or elsewhere, and is taking the right steps to wind down its military operations in Gaza, as it is not in the US or Israel's best interest to see the conflict escalate. Nevertheless, the US is prepared to defend its allies in the region and deter threats to regional and global security.
• Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by The Jerusalem Post. Though this has been a tragic war, Israel must eliminate Hamas and restore deterrence with Iran and its proxy Hezbollah. Hezbollah is a terrorist army with far greater military capabilities than Hamas, and Israel cannot allow its citizens residing in the north to live under the constant threat of terrorist attacks. The UN resolution that ended the 2006 war with Hezbollah has failed to ensure Israel's security, and if some sort of new arrangement is not made, Israel will be forced to intervene. Likewise, in Gaza, Hamas's military capabilities must be eliminated to ensure Israel's security.
• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Middle East Eye. Israel continues to demonstrate that its war is not against Hamas or Hezbollah but against the Palestinian and Lebanese people as a whole. Nowhere in Gaza is safe, and Israel has effectively rendered large swaths of the strip uninhabitable. Israel is killing Palestinians at an unprecedented rate and has transformed Gaza into a wasteland. Though the US, Israel's biggest ally, wants to minimize the war's intensity, it must instead exert more pressure to end the war completely.
• Pro-Iran narrative, as provided by PressTV. Israel, with the full backing of the US, is committing genocide in Gaza, something Iran and its allies cannot tolerate. As resistance groups like the Houthis show their solidarity with Palestinians by enforcing a blockade on Israel, Joe Biden must understand that supporting Israel's crimes will only lead to further escalation in the region. The resistance's primary goal is to end the war in Gaza, not spark a far larger regional conflict. However, if the US and Israel continue to flagrantly disregard international law, the resistance may be forced to expand its operations.

Predictions