Ruth Wasserman Lande: There are two missing links in the Egyptian proposal. First, no one is willing to put up the money if Hamas is not removed. Second, it is absolutely impossible to remove Hamas from the civilian population.
Anyone who says otherwise either does not understand the situation or does not want to understand it. Hamas is embedded in the population—that is its modus vivendi, its modus operandi. It is embedded in the social welfare structures, in the professional syndicates, and in all of the NGOs that have worked or continue to work in the Gaza Strip. They are, of course, present in all the religious institutions, and they control everything.
In other words, it is impossible and completely unrealistic to separate them. Therefore, not removing, at least temporarily, the civilian population will not allow for the proper rebuilding and rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip.
Additionally, I don’t see Egypt or Jordan as the right places for these Gazans to be temporarily moved in order to rebuild the Strip. As I’ve said before, they should be moved to Qatar.
Published in I24, March 17, 2025.