Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant presented on Thursday 4th a “postwar” plan for the Gaza Strip, according to which there will be “neither Hamas” nor “Israeli civil administration” in the Palestinian territory.
Gallant presented the outlines of the plan to the press before presenting it to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet, which has been divided in recent weeks over the course of the war against Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007.
According to the plan, operations in the area will “continue until the return of the hostages,” the “dismantling of military capabilities and the Hamas government,” and “the elimination of military threats in the Gaza Strip.”
This will be followed by another phase, the “day after” of the war, in which “Hamas will not control Gaza,” says the plan, which has not yet been approved by the government.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called on Monday for the return of Jewish settlers to Gaza after the war and an “incentive” for Palestinian emigration, following a similar call from his farright colleague Bezalel Smotrich.
But Gallant said today that “there will be no Israeli civilian presence in Gaza once the war objectives are achieved.” However, he made clear that the army would maintain its “freedom of action” in the territory to counter any threat.
“The people of Gaza are Palestinians. As a result, Palestinian entities will assume responsibility [da gestão] on the condition that there is no hostile action or threat against the State of Israel,” Gallant added.
However, he did not specify which Palestinians would govern the territory of 2.4 million people.
The defense secretary's plan was unveiled on the eve of a visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the Middle East to contain the spread of the war between Israel and Hamas.