Israeli Defense Minister presents post-war plan for Gaza

For the first time, the Israeli Defense Minister has presented his plan for the aftermath of the war with Hamas in Gaza amidst ongoing intense airstrikes and ground operations in the region, just ahead of the US Secretary of State's regional tour set to begin on Friday.

Discussions about the "day after" for the Gaza Strip, including its civilian and military administration, have been a central focus since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7. Questions regarding the shape of the Strip's administration, especially on the security front, remain unanswered.

These questions coincide with increasing calls for a ceasefire amid a rising number of civilian casualties, a growing humanitarian crisis due to aid shortages, and the displacement of nearly 85% percent of Gaza's population.

On Thursday evening, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant presented his "post-war" plan for the Gaza Strip, which has been under the control of Hamas since 2007. According to this plan, there will be "no Hamas" or "Israeli civilian administration" in the Palestinian Strip after the fighting concludes.

Gallant revealed the broad outlines of this plan to reporters before presenting it to the Cabinet of Ministers, chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been divided for weeks throughout action in the ongoing conflict.

Speaking to journalists, the minister stated that, according to the plan, military operations would "continue" in the Gaza Strip until the "return of hostages," "dismantling the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas," and "eliminating military threats in the Gaza Strip."

He added that after achieving these objectives, a new phase would begin – the "day after" the war – during which "Hamas will not control Gaza."

Gallant emphasized on Thursday that under his plan, "there will be no Israeli civilian presence in the Gaza Strip after the war's objectives are achieved," and the Israeli military would retain the "freedom to move" in the Strip to counter any potential "threats."

He stressed that "the residents of Gaza are Palestinians. Therefore, Palestinian entities will take (control) as long as there is no hostile action or threat against the state of Israel."

Gallant did not specify which Palestinian entity, according to his plan, would be responsible for managing the besieged sector with a population of 2.4 million people.

AFP