No one knows what is written in the Phase II agreement between Israel, the US, and Qatar, but what is certain is that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already claimed his first prize and already has a foothold in Gaza, as emerges from new images revealed Monday, which show engineering equipment bearing the Turkish flag inside the Gaza Strip.
Erdogan already warned a week ago that if Israel violates the ceasefire and returns to war, then it will pay a heavy price. While Iran and the Shi'ite axis may have been weakened and lost their grip, on the ground, the axis of the Muslim Brotherhood is indeed making its mark.
American envoy Steve Witkoff stated on CBS's 60 Minutes on Sunday that "estimates for the cost of rebuilding Gaza are around $50 billion," and noted that "we believe the funds will be raised quickly."
He added that "there are governments in the Middle East that will rush to contribute funding, in addition to the expected European participation." He explained that "the first stage of the plan is how to actually launch it, and that's what I'm working on." He believed that "securing funding is the easier part and can be achieved relatively quickly, while the real challenge lies in the comprehensive master plan."
"We are working with a team of experts who have developed master plans over the past two years. We already have ready and comprehensive plans," Witkoff told the program and added that "a council called the Peace Council will be established, and we will be very meticulous in selecting the best talent to work on it."
He emphasized that "we are already talking with contractors from different countries in the Middle East, because we believe regional support is essential, and they know the local market and its dynamics best."
Distancing Turkey and Syria
Also on Sunday, Settlement and National Missions Minister Orit Strock attacked the government, claiming, "How is it that we're trying to distance Turkey from Syria and bringing them in through the front door - here on our border?" She further said, "I don't want to see any Turk in Gaza - not on a tractor, not on a jeep, and not on roller skates."
Yael Sabrigo, niece of the fallen kidnapped soldier Lior Rudaeff, whose body is being held in the Gaza Strip along with 15 other kidnapped fallen soldiers, told Radio Kol Barama, "The Israeli government chose Qatar and Turkey to be those who enter as an international force into the Gaza Strip. The same entities that have financed terrorism in Gaza for years, finance Hamas and hold up Hamas to this day."
According to her, "The Israeli government chooses to bring fuel into Gaza, the Israeli government chose, at the expense of its citizens, to shape Hamas, to strengthen Hamas, once again. Instead of bringing in bodies that are a bit more neutral, again, the government chose to bring in Turkey and Qatar. The time has come for fixing."