Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant presented the outlines of his first “post-war” plan for the Gaza Strip to the press on Thursday evening, January 4th. He must then present it to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet, which has been divided in recent weeks over how to proceed in the war against the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which has been in power in the enclave since 2007.
According to the plan, operations in the Gaza Strip would “continue until the return of the hostages,” the “dismantling of Hamas's military and government capabilities,” and the “elimination of military threats in the Gaza Strip,” Mr. Gallant argued. After that, another phase will begin, that of the “day after” after the war, after which “Hamas will not control Gaza.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called on Monday for the return of Jewish settlers to Gaza after the war and the “encouragement” of the Palestinian population to emigrate, following a similar call from his far-right colleague Bezalel Smotrich.
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“The people of Gaza are Palestinians”
But “there will be no more Israeli civilian presence in the Gaza Strip after the objectives of the war are achieved,” Gallant explained, specifying that the Israeli army will, however, “retain its freedom of action” in the Palestinian enclave in order to contain any possible “threat.” .
“The people of Gaza are Palestinians. Therefore, Palestinian entities will bear responsibility [de la gestion] on the condition that there are no hostile actions or threats against the State of Israel,” the defense minister said, without specifying who among the Palestinians would administer this territory of 2.4 million people.
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In recent weeks, analysts have discussed various scenarios, such as the return of Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian Authority (PA), currently in the occupied West Bank, to the Gaza Strip after the war.
However, according to a recent survey by the Center for Palestine Policy and Polling Research (PCPSR), an independent institute in Ramallah, almost two-thirds of Palestinians surveyed (64%) believe that Hamas will retain control of Gaza after the fighting ends. . About 11% of respondents predict an AP government but without Mahmoud Abbas, and almost 7% predict the latter.
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Antony Blinken is visiting again
However, in an interview with the Financial Times, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh argued for a “political solution for all of Palestine” and not just Gaza. “People are starting to talk about 'the day after,' about the PA running Gaza again,” but Israel “wants to politically separate Gaza from the West Bank,” he said.
And added: “We have to look at the calendar and delete the year 2024. (…) I do not believe that Israel will leave Gaza soon, I rather believe that Israel will create its own civil administration that will operate under the authority of its army.” Profession. Therefore, the question of “the day after” is not clear [pour le moment]. »
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The revelation of the Gallant plan comes on the eve of a new visit by the head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, to the Middle East, aimed, among other things, at preventing an expansion of the war between Israel and Hamas.
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