Lapid's gazaplan would be 'national suicide' for Israel, Egypt, expert says

A former intelligence officer and Egypt expert spoke about the possibility that Egypt will take part in Trump's Gaza plan.

By PELED ARBELI FEBRUARY 26, 2025 21:40 Updated: FEBRUARY 26, 2025 21:44

Yair Lapid addressing the Foundation for Defense of Democracies conference in Washington, February 25, 2025. (photo credit: Screenshot/YouTube)

There is a low chance that Egypt would accept Opposition Leader Yair Lapid's Gaza plan, and even if it did, there would be catastrophic consequences for it and Israel, Lt.-Col. (res.) Eli Dekel, a former intelligence officer and Egypt expert, told Maariv on Wednesday.

"From my knowledge as an intelligence researcher about Egypt's conduct since 1948, it is a country that systematically does not respect agreements and has violated every agreement in the past, trampling on the peace agreement since the day it was signed and tirelessly gnawing at it. Giving Egypt this treat of bringing a hostile population sixty kilometers closer sounds like national suicide."

"The plan says that Egypt will have debts of $75 billion written off, a gift that even America cannot give up," Dekel added. "It will bring the Egyptian guns closer to Tel Aviv. Egypt doesn't deserve [such a reward], while it has strengthened Hamas for many years. Israeli citizens ran to hide in red-alert shelters, and all this evil came from Hamas, which Egypt armed. I see no reason to pamper them with such gifts," he added.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry responded on Wednesday to opposition head Yair Lapid's plan for Egypt to assume responsibility for the Gaza Strip for 15 years.

The Ministry's spokesman said that "any proposal that ignores the principles of the Egyptian and Arab position and the sound foundations for addressing the root of the conflict, which is related to Israel's withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territories and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, are unacceptable proposals."

He explained that this is "because [the Lapid plan] is a half-baked solution that [only] helps to prolong the conflict instead of permanently resolving it."

He also emphasized the organic connection between Gaza and the West Bank, according to him, including east Jerusalem, "because they are Palestinian territories that constitute the territory of the future Palestinian state and they should be under full Palestinian sovereignty and management."

Lapid's plan for the Gaza Strip

Opposition leader Yair Lapid presented on Tuesday in Washington a supplementary plan to US President Donald Trump's day-after plan for Gaza.

At the center of the plan, Egypt will assume responsibility for Gaza for 15 years, and at the same time, the international community will cancel its $155 billion external debt.

The plan presented by Lapid was formulated in recent months and involved senior political and security officials.

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Lapid presented the plan as part of his visit to the US to meet Trump administration officials in the White House and senior senators, and it is a supplementary plan to the principles presented by Trump in recent weeks.