![Israel continues to deploy soldiers, tanks, military aircraft and armored vehicles near the Gaza Border as Israeli attacks continue on Gaza on May 1, 2024. [Mostafa Alkharouf - Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/AA-20240501-34434638-34434619-ISRAELI_ATTACKS_ON_GAZA_CONTINUE____-scaled-e1715601016692.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
Israeli media outlets revealed yesterday Israel’s plan to manage the Gaza Strip after the end of its latest military offensive that started on 7 October and has killed or wounded well over 100,000 Palestinians.
According to the Hebrew Kan channel, Israel proposes that the coordinator of the Israeli government’s activity in the occupied Palestinian territories will run the “civilian administration” in Gaza, for a period ranging from six months to a year. The plan has apparently been discussed by the Israeli National Security Council, and will be presented to the government soon, amid increasing criticism of the political leadership by the army for not making decisions regarding the “day after” the war in Gaza.
“Services will be provided to the residents of Gaza through private Arab companies,” explained the channel. “Control of the Strip will eventually be transferred to local parties that are not hostile to Israel.”
It pointed out that the security services and political leadership in Israel are engaged in talks and meetings with concerned parties to formulate the plan. Its unveiling coincides with the resignation of Yoram Hamo, a senior Israeli official responsible for defence policy and strategic planning at the National Security Council, reported Kan. He is said to have resigned due to dissatisfaction with the lack of political decisions concerning future operations in the Gaza Strip.
Last Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was asked in an interview who he’d like to see run Gaza after Hamas. “We’ll probably have to have some kind of civilian administration by Gazans [sic] who are not committed to our destruction, possibly with the aid of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and other countries that I think want to see stability and peace,” responded Netanyahu. He added that Israel would maintain the “right” to enter the enclave as necessary to root out “remnant terror elements”.
Arab countries, though, have already announced that they would not cooperate with any plan that does not involve the Palestinian Authority’s presence in Gaza.
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