According to the plan, Gaza would be governed by some kind of Palestinian government. It is unclear whether Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s plan has the support of the entire government.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday presented his plans for the future of Gaza after the war.
In Gallant’s plans, the area would not remain under the control of the terrorist organization Hamas or Israel.
Instead, the region would be governed by an administration made up of Palestinians, the composition of which Gallant did not reveal in more detail. A coalition of several countries led by the United States would be responsible for the reconstruction of the area destroyed by Israel’s attacks.
According to Gallant, the current war could end when Israel has been able to destroy Hamas and release the hostages it kidnapped. However, Israel could continue to take military action in Gaza if necessary.
Until now, Gaza has been ruled by Hamas and has been blockaded by Israel and Egypt.
It is unclear whether the plan has government support
According to the Ministry of Defense, Gallant’s plan is his own and has not been discussed by the Israeli government or the war cabinet leading the war.
It is unclear whether there is support for the plan. Some of the government’s far-right ministers have demanded that Israeli settlements should be established in Gaza. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not commented on the plan so far.
The United States has demanded that after the war, Gaza would return to the Palestinian Authority controlled by the Fatah party operating in the West Bank. Netanyahu, on the other hand, has tried to weaken the Palestinian Authority.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting Israel on the weekend.
Gallant: The war is entering a new phase
According to Defense Minister Gallant, the war is now entering a new phase, where Israel would carry out more limited attacks on northern Gaza, but would continue extensive military operations against Hamas in the south.
Most of northern Gaza is in ruins, and the majority of its inhabitants have fled to southern Gaza.
According to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, at least 20 people, nine of whom were children, were killed in the Israeli strikes on Thursday.
In total, more than 22,400 people have died in the Gaza war, according to the Ministry of Health. About 1,140 people died in the October terrorist attack by Hamas in Israel.
Sources: AFP, AP, Reuters