GAZA’S FUTURE UNDER SIEGE: THE STRUGGLE FOR PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD
By Akmaral Batalova edited by Vincent Lyn
As long as Israel maintains military control over Gaza — through its ability to impose blockades, carry out operations, and restrict humanitarian aid — the prospects for Palestinian statehood remain bleak.
Initially, plans involved the forced displacement of Gazan’s due to Israeli military actions, with Egypt taking in refugees in the Sinai region. However, Cairo has refused to accept this outcome. Israel now seems focused on an ethnic cleansing campaign, seeking to forcibly resettle Palestinians outside Gaza. The strategy envisions turning Gaza into a vast detention zone, similar to the Al-Hawl camp in Syria, where residents would be confined under Israeli watch. Conditions within these camps would be so dire that Palestinians may feel compelled to leave, with those who remain tasked with serving foreign interests, such as at the Leviathan gas field.
The only viable future for Gaza, however, lies in removing it from Israeli control entirely, demanding a full Israeli military withdrawal. The Arab League could act as a guarantor, deploying forces from countries like Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and others, to protect Gaza from future Israeli aggression. These forces wouldn’t need to eliminate Hamas but would be responsible for safeguarding the enclave. It is high time Arab states uphold their long-standing promises to liberate Gaza.
Accountability for the genocide of Palestinians should rest squarely with Netanyahu’s government, which should be excluded from any future regional decisions. Although discussions about an Arab League intervention are happening, there is skepticism that such a plan could materialize, much like the failed Oslo Accords. The fate of this vision may ultimately hinge on Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas’s ability to resist Israeli ambitions.
The resolve of Arab states to act remains uncertain, with the exception of Algeria. Under Arab protection, Gaza’s reconstruction could begin, while the Palestinians decide Hamas’s future role in their state. Gaza would then become the political center of a future Palestinian state, even as the West Bank and East Jerusalem likely remain under temporary Israeli occupation. However, efforts to reunite them into a single Palestinian state must continue.
Akmaral Batalova
Studied International relations at Diplomatic academy of Kazakh ministry of foreign affairs
Studied at Universidad Complutense de Madrid UCM
Studied International Relations at Escuela Diplomática de Madrid
Vincent Lyn
CEO & Founder of We Can Save Children
Deputy Ambassador of International Human Rights Commission (IHRC)
Director of Creative Development at African Views Organization
Economic & Social Council at United Nations (ECOSOC)
Rescue & Recovery Specialist at International Confederation of Police & Security Experts Lyn