Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Monday that he has set out six “red lines” for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of his anticipated meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss the latter’s proposed prisoner-exchange plan between Israel and Hamas.
اضافة اعلان
Trump is scheduled to host Netanyahu at the White House on Monday evening to discuss the “21-point plan” he unveiled last week regarding a potential prisoner swap, despite Washington’s unwavering support for Israel in its war on Gaza.
In a post on the U.S. platform X, Smotrich said he had informed Netanyahu of the “red lines from which the Religious Zionism party will not back down.”
According to Smotrich:
A complete and genuine removal of Hamas from Gaza, including dismantling all “terrorist infrastructure” above and below ground.
Permanent Israeli military presence around Gaza, including the Philadelphi Corridor (the Gaza–Egypt border), maintaining full operational freedom throughout the Strip.
No Palestinian Authority involvement in Gaza, neither now nor in the future, explicitly or implicitly.
No mention whatsoever of a Palestinian state, which Smotrich claimed threatens Israel’s existence, insisting the idea must be taken “off the table forever.”
This comes despite 11 countries—including the UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Luxembourg, Belgium, Andorra, France, Malta, Monaco, and San Marino—formally recognizing the State of Palestine during the UN General Assembly in September, bringing the total to 159 of the UN’s 193 member states, according to the Palestinian news agency.
Smotrich’s fifth condition: no Qatari involvement in Gaza.
Finally, touching on the issue of displacement, Smotrich said Gaza “will no longer be a prison where people are held illegally and immorally just to harm Israel,” adding that anyone wishing to leave should be able to do so via Egypt.
Trump’s plan, presented during his meetings with Arab and Islamic leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York, reportedly calls for an immediate halt to military operations, the release of all Israeli captives within 48 hours, and the creation of international and Palestinian bodies to administer Gaza—without Hamas’ involvement, according to The Washington Post.
Israel estimates that 48 Israeli captives remain in Gaza, including 20 believed to be alive. By contrast, some 11,100 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons, where they face torture, starvation, and medical neglect, with many deaths reported, according to Palestinian and Israeli rights groups and media outlets.
Source: Anadolu
