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Eisenkot Presents New Plan for 'Day after Hamas'

A child stands in front of the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli raids on the Maghazi camp in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday (AP)
A child stands in front of the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli raids on the Maghazi camp in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday (AP)
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Eisenkot Presents New Plan for 'Day after Hamas'

A child stands in front of the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli raids on the Maghazi camp in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday (AP)
A child stands in front of the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli raids on the Maghazi camp in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday (AP)

Member of the Israeli War Command Council Gadi Eisenkot has put forward a plan for the next day after the Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip, to be an alternative to the strategy proposed last month by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which was met with wide rejection by the Palestinians, the United States, and the international community.

Eisenkot’s plan came in parallel with attempts by the right-wing Israeli government to implement a policy aimed at expanding the occupation and settlements, and imposing a new fait accompli on Gaza that hinders a political solution to the conflict.

Although details of the Eisenkot plan fall within the framework of internal Israeli negotiations about the fate of the Palestinians, they present temporary solutions aimed at stopping the deterioration taking place in the Palestinian areas due to the actions of the government and settlers.

However, his proposals exclude Palestinian ambitions to end the occupation and establish an independent Palestinian state. He proposes postponing the implementation of the permanent solution for five years, during which Israel will test the Palestinian leadership’s commitment to what he called “the fight against terrorism and incitement against Israel.” The Israeli security services will be in control of security from the sea to the river, while the process of destroying Hamas’ military capabilities will continue.

The Eisenkot document was prepared with the participation of a senior strategic security team from the Mind Israel Institute, headed by Amos Yadlin, former head of the Military Intelligence Division.

The plan proposed near term goals, which include seeking to dismantle Hamas, by maintaining operations to undermine the group’s military capabilities and its ability to govern, for the purpose of creating pressure that will lead to concluding a deal for the release of the kidnapped and preventing the threat to Israel from the Gaza Strip in the long term.

Moreover, Eisenkot called for forging an American-Israeli-Arab alliance and transferring the management of civilian affairs in the Gaza Strip to a local Palestinian component, with international and regional monitoring in coordination with Israel.

Other short-term objectives include ending the confrontation with Hezbollah in Lebanon in a way that ensures the safe return of evacuated citizens, strengthening relations with countries seeking peace, advancing ties with Saudi Arabia and other Arab and Islamic countries and preparing to confront all threats coming from Iran, with a focus on its nuclear program and activity in the region.

In the medium term, Eisenkot’s plan seeks to maintain Israel’s freedom of operation and security responsibilities in the Gaza Strip to prevent the growth of a terrorist base.

It also calls for complete disarmament in the Gaza Strip, which is implemented by Israel by reducing the enemy's capabilities, adhering to its growing security responsibility, and building a local disarmament system under the supervision of the United States. A military force is established for the sole purpose of ensuring the rule of law.

According to the proposed plan, the civil-economic affairs of the people of Gaza are managed by a technocratic Palestinian entity, subject to the supervision of a group of the Five Arab Countries, the United States, and the international community.

Other medium-term goals include ending UNRWA’s mission and gradually transferring its responsibility for schools to the entity that manages the affairs of the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, in parallel with handing over the agency's services to other international bodies.

In the long term, the plan proposes settlement between Israel and the Palestinians through direct negotiations between the two parties, which will be implemented after five years, during which the Palestinians’ ability to adhere to comprehensive reforms, disarmament, and rebuilding the Gaza Strip will be tested, based on international and regional monitoring.

No Israeli commitment will be given in the next five years to establish a Palestinian state, as something like this will be understood as a gift to Hamas, according to Eisenkot.

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Arab World

EU Hosts Palestinian Leader in Conference About Security and Peace in Gaza and the West Bank

(L-R) High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa, and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide during the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution 9th meeting in Brussels, Belgium, 20 April 2026. (EPA)
(L-R) High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa, and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide during the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution 9th meeting in Brussels, Belgium, 20 April 2026. (EPA)
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EU Hosts Palestinian Leader in Conference About Security and Peace in Gaza and the West Bank

(L-R) High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa, and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide during the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution 9th meeting in Brussels, Belgium, 20 April 2026. (EPA)
(L-R) High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa, and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide during the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution 9th meeting in Brussels, Belgium, 20 April 2026. (EPA)

More than 60 nations are sending representatives to Brussels to discuss with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa stability, security and long-term peace in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, as global attention largely remains focused in the Middle East on the ongoing crises in Iran and Lebanon.

Ongoing attacks in the West Bank and continued devastation in Gaza dims the prospect for a two-state solution, said Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot ahead of the meeting Monday. He is co-hosting the meeting with the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas.

“We observe without naivety that the two-state solution is being made more difficult by the day," Prévot said. “But Belgium and many European and Arab partners continue to believe that this remains the only realistic path to a lasting peace, for Israelis, for Palestinians and for the stability of the entire region.”

The 27-nation European Union is the largest single donor to the Palestinian Authority, with its 90-year-old president Mahmoud Abbas ruling from Ramallah for two decades. And while the EU has avoided directly joining the Board of Peace created by United States President Donald Trump, preferring the multilateralism of the United Nations and global legal norms, the bloc is eager to not be sidelined in diplomacy in a volatile region just across the Mediterranean.

Outrage in Europe over the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza drove many EU leaders to condemn Israel’s war conduct and to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

With the recent ouster of long-serving Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a close ally of Netanyahu, there might now be enough political support within the bloc for stronger actions like targeted sanctions on Israeli settlers or even the suspension of some ties to Israel.

Palestinians in the West Bank say that Israel has used the cover of the Iran war to tighten its grip over the territory, as settler attacks surge and the military imposes additional wartime restrictions on movement, citing security.

Gaza requires “one state, one government, one law and one goal,” Mustafa said on Monday in Brussels.

“Our common objective of achieving one security structure under the legitimate authority should guide the effective coordination between the International Stabilization Force, the Palestinian Authority, security institutions and other international actors. Security must not be fragmented," he said.

He also called for “the gradual and responsible collection of arms from all armed groups and also the full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.”

Arab World

Israeli Army Brings in Demolition Contractors to Raze Dozens of Lebanese Villages

Israeli military vehicles and armored units in front of destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on April 15. (AFP)
Israeli military vehicles and armored units in front of destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on April 15. (AFP)
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Israeli Army Brings in Demolition Contractors to Raze Dozens of Lebanese Villages

Israeli military vehicles and armored units in front of destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on April 15. (AFP)
Israeli military vehicles and armored units in front of destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on April 15. (AFP)

The Israeli army is using the ceasefire period to accelerate large-scale destruction in areas it occupies in southern Lebanon, which have been largely emptied of residents displaced by the conflict, according to local accounts.

Working around the clock across an area estimated at more than 800 square kilometers — about 8 percent of Lebanon’s territory — Israeli forces are systematically flattening buildings.

Confronted with the scale of the task and racing against time, the military engineering corps has enlisted private sector “demolition contractors,” some with experience in Gaza, to carry out operations in dozens of villages.

Using heavy machinery, including bulldozers and D9 units, they have begun what sources describe as a coordinated clearing campaign.

The occupied zone stretches from the Litani River to the internationally recognized border and has been divided into three sectors.

The first is a “total destruction” zone running along the entire Lebanese border strip, from the expanded Shebaa Farms area and the town of Khiam in the east, through Deir Siryan, to the coastal town of Bayyada in the west. Its depth ranges from about 3 kilometers at its narrowest point near Odaisseh to as much as 10 kilometers near Khiam.

This area is referred to by the Israeli army as the “yellow belt,” in reference to a similarly named line in Gaza. Civilian presence is effectively prohibited, with entry posing a serious risk to life.

The second sector extends from the “yellow belt” to the Litani River. Israeli forces have positioned this line along hilltops and elevated terrain to maintain direct visual oversight of the river corridor, despite advanced surveillance capabilities. Armed presence is banned in this zone, and civilian presence is strongly discouraged.

The area remains highly volatile, with Israeli troops on constant alert.

Reports indicate sporadic resistance operations, as well as the presence of minefields and ambushes. Tactics developed by Hezbollah since the 2006 war are being employed here. Most Israeli casualties reported in this area — 12 killed and around 30 wounded — occurred in this sector, which has also seen fire reach as far as the Tyre region.

The third sector extends from the Litani River northward to the Zahrani River. While not officially designated as occupied, it is subject to continuous aerial and maritime surveillance.

Israel believes Hezbollah uses this area as a launching ground for operations, including short- and medium-range rocket fire. Drones are reported to operate overhead day and night. Israeli assessments indicate that more than half of the roughly 8,000 rockets and shells fired from Lebanon originated from this zone.

Israeli military doctrine since Oct. 7, 2023, calls for layered security zones along each front — Lebanon, Syria and Gaza — including a fortified area inside Israel, a no-go “security belt” inside enemy territory, and a broader demilitarized zone.

Within Israel’s far-right leadership, some officials have embraced this approach as a precursor to expanding territorial control. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for further expansion and the establishment of Israeli military bases elsewhere in the region.

On the ground, Israeli forces appear intent on consolidating control over the “yellow belt” by erasing all structures above and below ground, from homes to schools and public buildings, a strategy critics say is aimed at preventing displaced residents south of the Litani from returning, or ensuring they find nothing left if they do.

The army also faces domestic criticism, particularly from residents of northern Israel, who say it has failed to provide adequate security despite months of fighting. Israeli officials argue that such operations could help secure longer-term calm on the northern front through a political agreement.

The Haaretz newspaper quoted a senior officer as saying the goal is “not a return to rounds of fighting, but achieving long-term security,” adding that Hezbollah has been significantly weakened compared with its position before Oct. 7, 2023.

Arab World

Hamas Gives ‘Positive Response’ in Cairo, Raising Hopes of Near-Term Deal

Palestinians in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday (AFP)
Palestinians in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday (AFP)
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Hamas Gives ‘Positive Response’ in Cairo, Raising Hopes of Near-Term Deal

Palestinians in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday (AFP)
Palestinians in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday (AFP)

Sources within Hamas said the group’s delegation in Cairo has delivered a “positive response” to a revised proposal from mediators, particularly Egypt, potentially paving the way for an agreement on Gaza soon.

Negotiations on the deal remain stalled. Hamas and other factions insist Israel must first meet its phase-one ceasefire commitments, including humanitarian relief and the entry of aid trucks into the enclave, before they undertake further obligations. Israel, backed by the US, is pressing to move directly to the central element of phase two: disarmament.

A senior Hamas source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Zaher Jabarin and Ghazi Hamad, members of the group’s political bureau and its negotiating delegation, have returned to Cairo after leaving last Tuesday for internal consultations. Khalil al-Hayya, who heads Hamas’s negotiating team, remained in Egypt to continue talks.

The delegation returned with a “positive answer” to a proposal for handling phases one and two in parallel, the source told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The mediators’ plan stipulates the immediate start of phase-one steps while discussions continue on phase two, with no second-phase measures implemented before full completion of the first. Progression within phase two would also be conditional on completing each preceding step.

Hamas has set conditions, including the swift entry of a Gaza administrative committee to assume agreed responsibilities, along with “clear and credible guarantees” within a defined timeline to ensure Israel carries out its obligations in both phases.

Sources said Hamas held broad consultations in recent days, inside and outside Gaza, involving all its internal bodies, including religious frameworks that have historically played a key role in decision-making.

They described a “consensus,” including from the group’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, in support of the mediators’ proposal and negotiations over potential amendments related to weapons.

Mediators are aiming for rapid negotiations on phase two while phase one is completed, with expectations that international actors, including the US, will press Israel to comply.

A Palestinian faction source in Cairo said “contacts and meetings are ongoing at all levels,” adding that many expect a breakthrough that could lead to a deal.

However, the outcome ultimately depends on Israel’s government, which has signaled through international envoy Nikolay Mladenov and US representatives that acceptance of the bridging proposal should include Hamas agreeing to disarmament.

Sources said mediators had asked the group to approve the proposal, while officials linked to the administration of Donald Trump and Mladenov had pushed for Hamas to sign a disarmament document before negotiations proceed — a demand the group fears could be used to impose terms it opposes.

During discussions, some factions proposed reducing phase two from eight months to three or four to accelerate humanitarian improvements and reconstruction in Gaza, particularly for displaced residents living in harsh conditions.

A senior Hamas official said the group has no objection to shortening the timeline, stressing its priority is to ensure implementation of any agreement to ease civilian suffering, including by enabling the Gaza administrative committee to begin relief and service delivery.