Israeli officials step up discussions on who will rule Gaza

Israel has stepped up its preparations for “the day after” the toppling of Hamas in Gaza, despite officials’ view that it will take a considerable amount of time to achieve that objective, Israel Hayom has exclusively learned.

Two taskforces have been established in the National Security Council and the Foreign Ministry to evaluate options for governance of the Palestinian enclave after the war, sources said. The goal of all proposed alternatives is that Hamas will no longer control Gaza.

The increased activity on the diplomatic aspects of what would emerge in the aftermath of the fighting comes after President Joe Biden and Arab leaders have stated that they expect the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza after the war.

“There is complete agreement in the War Cabinet and Diplomatic-Security Cabinet regarding the political goal of the operation, which is the removal of Hamas. However, dealing in the post-war political framework may lead to internal disputes within Israel and with international actors, which could hinder the achievement of war objectives. Therefore, we seek to avoid confronting this combustible matter as much as possible. We need to handle this wisely,” a senior Israeli official told Israel Hayom. The official was not authorized to speak publicly and could not be identified because of concerns about the sensitivity of the information.

To keep the project as low profile as possible, the planning is conducted separately in each ministry, and for now, there is no inter-agency process.

Israel Hayom also learned that in the frequent calls between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Biden, much of the conversation has revolved around post-war political solutions.

Cabinet ministers have come up with ideas such as having an international administration in various formats, another is a joint Egyptian-Israeli mechanism. One proposal was to have Mohammed Dahlan rule Gaza, but he has rebuffed that option in various media outlets.

The suggestion that the Palestinian Authority would return to Gaza has been met with fierce opposition from most of the senior ministers. But former deputy prime minister Benny Gantz and former chief of general staff of the Israel Defense Forces Gadi Eizenkot have said they support strengthening the Palestinian Authority.

The senior Israeli official added that despite the increased focus on the political sphere and the rescuing of IDF soldier Ori Megidish from Hamas, “the road ahead is still long.” According to the official, “Perhaps we’ve covered about 10 percent of the distance required to achieve the goal of toppling Hamas. Patience, unity, and stamina are needed to reach our objectives.”

Israel Hayom is owned by the Adelson family, including Dr. Miriam Adelson, which also owns the Review-Journal.