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.
