Next week, a delegation from Pakistan will fly to Washington D.C. to attend the first official operational Gaza Board of Peace meeting. The agenda? “Post-war reconstruction” and “Policing the South.”
But while our diplomats are packing their bags, the reality on the ground has shifted drastically. New leaked memos from the Israeli Defense Ministry suggest that the BoP might just be a distraction for what activists are calling the “Devil’s Plan” (Phase II).
1. The Annexation of the North
Reports from NPR and Al Jazeera this morning confirm that the IDF has established a permanent “militarized corridor” separating Gaza City from the South.
- The Plan: Israel intends to keep the North (Beit Lahia, Jabalia) as a “Security Zone” indefinitely.
- The Trap: By agreeing to police the South via the “Peace Board,” Muslim nations (including Pakistan) are inadvertently giving Israel tacit permission to annex the North. We look after the refugees in Rafah, while they take the prime land in Gaza City.
2. The PLO’s Warning & Gaza Board of Peace Meeting
The Palestinian Authority (PLO) has officially refused to attend next week’s meeting. Their statement was blunt: “Any nation that joins this Board is complicit in the partition of Gaza.” This puts Islamabad in a terrible position. Do we walk into a room that the Palestinians themselves have boycotted?
3. A Glimmer of Life: The “Qatayef” Return
Amidst the politics, the spirit of Gaza remains unbroken. Anadolu Agency reported today that despite the rubble, street vendors in Deir al-Balah have started making Qatayef (the traditional Ramadan dessert) on wood-fired stoves. It is a small act of defiance. They are telling the world: “You plan your boards and your zones. We plan for Ramadan.”
Verdict
Pakistan must tread carefully next week. If the “Board of Peace” does not explicitly demand the re-unification of North and South Gaza, we should walk out. Otherwise, we aren’t peacekeepers; we are border guards for the occupation.