Total Palestinian Rejection of Gaza Tribal Rule Plans

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant (File photo: Reuters)
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant (File photo: Reuters)
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Total Palestinian Rejection of Gaza Tribal Rule Plans

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant (File photo: Reuters)
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant (File photo: Reuters)

bIsraeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant presented for the first time a post-war plan, according to which Hamas would not have governed the Gaza Strip.

Under the plan, Hamas would no longer control Gaza and Israel would maintain military operational freedom, but there would be no Israeli civilian presence there.

Talk about the “day after” the war has been a significant point of discussion, and questions about the form of the Strip’s management, especially its security aspect, remain without clear answers.

- Gallant plan

Gallant revealed to reporters the outlines of the plan before presenting it to the Military Ministerial Council headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The plan states that residents of northern Gaza will not be permitted to return to their homes until all hostages held in Gaza are returned and notes that there are no plans for a reoccupation or resettlement of Gaza after the goals of the war have been achieved.

Israel will carry out a “joint operation with Egypt” in cooperation with the US to “effectively control the border” and prevent the smuggling of weapons from Sinai into the Palestinian Strip.

The plan also stipulates that Hamas will not rule Gaza, and Israel will not govern Gaza civilians, noting that Palestinian bodies will be in charge, with the condition that there will be no hostile actions or threats against Israel.

It focuses on the civil governance of the Strip, with Israel retaining military control on the borders and the right to take any military and security action necessary inside Gaza.

- Tribal rule

Tribal leaders in Gaza rejected Israeli post-war plans, excluding Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (PA).

The Commissioner-General of the Supreme Authority of Palestinian Tribes in Gaza, Akef al-Masry, issued a warning against the plan.

Masry said the “occupying state” seeks to cover up its failures in Gaza and create strife in the Palestinian society.

He asserted that the Palestinian tribes are an integral part of the society, rejecting the Israeli conspiracies to eliminate national rights.

The official lauded the legendary steadfastness of the Palestinian people and their resistance, calling on all to make a united national decision that rises to the level of sacrifice.

Masry called on all Palestinian, Arab, and international parties to take urgent action to stop the genocide, ensure the flow of humanitarian aid and medical and relief supplies, and guarantee shelter for citizens until reconstruction is completed.

In a statement on Friday, the Palestinian Presidency firmly reiterated its clear stance, emphasizing that halting the Israeli aggression against the people is the top national priority for the time being.

The Presidency rejected any plans beyond these parameters, deeming them categorically unacceptable.

The statement emphasized the importance of a political horizon based on international legitimacy, the Arab Peace Initiative, ending the occupation, and the recognition of the State of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital.

Gallant’s plan is inspired by the “Emirates Project” for the future of the Gaza Strip.

The “Emirates Project” was initiated about ten years ago by right-wing professor Mordechai Kedar, a Begin-Sadat Institute for Studies member.

Kedar claimed the Palestinian Emirates Plan’ was the only viable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He indicated that the West Bank would be linked to the tribes and families, in addition to the emirate that arose ten years ago in Gaza and is ruled by Hamas.

At the time, Kedar stressed that his project was based on the successful model of the United Arab Emirates.

However, the Kedar project discussed the Gaza Strip as a single emirate in addition to the emirates of the West Bank.

Gallant called for a multinational task force, led by the US in partnership with European and moderate Arab nations, to take responsibility for running civil affairs and the economic rehabilitation of the Strip.

Palestinian administrative mechanisms will be maintained, provided the relevant officials are not affiliated with Hamas.

- Israeli rejects the plan

The plan was met with strong opposition from the Israeli right, which insists on deporting the people of Gaza.

Minister Benny Gantz wondered if a single Palestinian would accept the plan.

Journalist Nahum Barnea wrote in Yedioth Ahronoth that tribal leaders will manage Gaza according to the proposal of officials in the security apparatus.

He recalled that the proposal was tried once, in 1977, and ended in resounding failure. At the time, they called it village associations.



Lebanon's Hezbollah Struggles with Missing Fighters Amid Community Pressure

Mourners carry a picture of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during the funeral procession of their relatives, in Maisara near the northern coastal town of Byblos, Lebanon, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Mourners carry a picture of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during the funeral procession of their relatives, in Maisara near the northern coastal town of Byblos, Lebanon, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
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Lebanon's Hezbollah Struggles with Missing Fighters Amid Community Pressure

Mourners carry a picture of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during the funeral procession of their relatives, in Maisara near the northern coastal town of Byblos, Lebanon, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Mourners carry a picture of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during the funeral procession of their relatives, in Maisara near the northern coastal town of Byblos, Lebanon, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

The issue of missing Hezbollah fighters from the Israeli war continues to cause distress for both the group and the families awaiting news or the return of their remains for burial.

Three weeks after the ceasefire began, the fate of more than 1,000 fighters remains unknown. Contact with them was lost, and their bodies have not been found, leaving it unclear whether they were killed in battle or captured by the Israeli military.

The Israeli military has confirmed capturing Hezbollah fighters, though the exact number is unclear. Some reports suggest about 10 fighters are held, and the Israeli forces have released video footage of two of them being interrogated.

Hezbollah confirmed that prisoners are held by Israel, with former media official Mohammed Afif acknowledging their capture. Since the ceasefire, the group’s leaders have kept quiet about the issue, only stating it is being monitored.

They often refer to a pledge made by former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, who said, “We will not leave our captives in prison.”

Sources say Hezbollah raised the prisoner issue during talks on the ceasefire agreement, but it was not addressed. They were promised it would be discussed later. Some believe their release could be linked to any broader resolution being worked on for Gaza.

Hezbollah has not yet revealed the number of its fighters killed during 66 days of conflict with Israel. The group stopped reporting casualties in late September, when the count stood at 450 deaths since the war began on October 8, 2023.

While estimates suggest more than 3,000 Hezbollah fighters were killed by the end of the war, sources tell Asharq Al-Awsat that between 1,000 and 1,500 are still missing after contact was lost with them.

Hezbollah has informed the families of these missing fighters of their status, either days before or weeks before the ceasefire took effect. They have said that their fate will be determined through ongoing search operations.

For those whose bodies were found, families were told their loved ones were “martyrs,” a term Hezbollah uses for fallen fighters.

Most bodies have been returned, and burials have taken place. However, many families were told their relatives are “missing in action,” as no trace of them was found due to the destruction caused by bombings, which made it difficult to search.

Fatima, who waited 60 days to hear from her husband, was informed two days ago that he is a “martyr, missing in action.”

Umm Hussein, the mother of another fighter, is still waiting for news of her son, who lost contact with her over a month ago.

Another woman, considered “lucky,” received her brother’s body after losing contact with him four weeks ago. She said: “Knowing he was martyred is better than waiting without knowing his fate.”

Zainab is still hopeful about her brother, who last contacted her 75 days ago. She was told he was in a hard-to-reach area, and search efforts would begin once Israeli forces withdrew.

Zainab remains hopeful, saying: “We haven’t lost hope. If he’s among the martyrs, we’ll still be happy because he has reached his goal.”

In contrast, Salma lost all hope when she learned her father had been killed.

“Although we lost contact with him about three weeks before the ceasefire, Hezbollah contacts reassured us he was fine. When the ceasefire started, we learned he had been martyred. It was a shock for us.”

Local sources in southern Lebanon told Asharq Al-Awsat that the issue of prisoners and missing fighters is becoming a major crisis for Hezbollah, especially for the fighters’ families and the community.

There have been growing protests and complaints against Hezbollah officials, who are being criticized for not doing enough for both the missing and captured fighters.

Hezbollah’s media also seems confused about how to handle the issue, as shown by conflicting reports.

On Tuesday, its news broadcast stated that bodies of martyrs were being recovered from the rubble in the southern town of Al-Adaisseh and would be extended to Taybeh and beyond.

However, two hours later, the report was updated, quoting a correspondent who said that “the Lebanese Army had not entered Al-Adaisseh, and no bodies had been recovered, nor had any similar operation been carried out in Taybeh.”

It also mentioned that “communications with UNIFIL forces on this issue had not been successful so far.”