Gallant’s Post-War Gaza Plan: Palestinians To Run Civil Affairs With Global Task Force

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant unveiled a comprehensive strategy on Thursday for managing the post-conflict situation in the Gaza Strip following the ongoing hostilities with the Hamas terror group. The proposal entails the Israel Defense Forces maintaining exclusive military control, devoid of any civilian presence, while local Palestinian authorities assume a pivotal role in civil affairs.

This initiative, slated for discussion in both the limited war cabinet and the broader security cabinet, excludes any involvement from the Palestinian Authority and does not advocate for the resettlement of Gaza. Although the plan provides a detailed outline for the Strip’s future after the war, it does not yet represent an official policy due to significant disparities of opinion within the coalition.

Gallant emphasized that his framework operates under the assumption that Hamas no longer governs Gaza and does not pose a security threat to Israel. It primarily focuses on civil governance, with Israel retaining military control over borders and the authority to undertake any necessary military and security actions within Gaza. Gallant stated, “Gaza residents are Palestinian, therefore Palestinian bodies will be in charge, with the condition that there will be no hostile actions or threats against the State of Israel.”

While Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu aligns with Gallant on the necessity of full Israeli security control and freedom of action, the emphasis on Palestinian civilian control over Gaza, excluding Israeli civilians, has provoked dissent among hardline coalition partners. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, whose vision for renewed Jewish settlement in Gaza clashes with Gallant’s plan, expressed firm opposition, advocating for “out-of-the-box thinking” and endorsing voluntary emigration of Gazans with Israeli security control, including renewed settlement.

The conflict in the coastal enclave ensued after Hamas’s brutal October 7 assaults, involving thousands of terrorists infiltrating Israel from Gaza, resulting in casualties and hostages. In response, Israel pledged to eradicate the terror group, launching a widespread military campaign targeting Hamas’s military and governance capacities to secure the hostages’ release.

Gallant’s plan, already presented to the US administration and discussed with allies, outlines four “pillars” for civil rule in post-war Gaza. It involves Israel coordinating and overseeing civil governance, a multinational task force led by the US managing civil affairs and economic rehabilitation, Egypt overseeing the main civilian border crossing, and maintaining existing Palestinian administrative mechanisms with non-Hamas affiliated officials collaborating with the multinational task force.

Gallant envisions a gradual transition of responsibilities to local administration, with various individuals, including clans, bureaucrats, government officials, and academics in Gaza, assuming civil governance roles in designated areas. The plan does not address law and order oversight in the Strip, leaving that issue unresolved.

Regarding possible Palestinian Authority involvement in post-war Gaza, Gallant deemed it irrelevant at this stage, citing the need for necessary reforms. Netanyahu contends that the current Palestinian Authority, under President Mahmud Abbas, cannot take over Gaza post-war. However, allies supporting the reconstruction of Gaza condition their assistance on the PA governing the Strip in conjunction with the West Bank, aligning with a broader initiative for an eventual two-state solution.

The reluctance within the coalition to entertain a PA-controlled Gaza Strip is surpassed by the aversion to committing to a two-state solution. Gallant’s plan lacks specifics on how Israel plans to garner foreign support for Gaza’s reconstruction without signaling progress toward Palestinian statehood.

Gallant’s plan asserts that residents of northern Gaza cannot return until all hostages held by terrorists are released. It rules out reoccupation or resettlement after achieving the war’s goals. Recent calls by Smotrich and Ben Gvir for resettling Gazans abroad and reestablishing settlements in Gaza faced international condemnation. Reports suggest 132 hostages remain in Gaza, with ongoing efforts to secure their release and determine their status.

{Matzav.com Israel}