Israeli Defense Minister Reveals Plans for Post-Hamas Gaza Control

Thea Fathanah Arbar, CNBC Indonesia

Friday, 05/01/2024 13:00 WIB

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reveals his plans for how Gaza will be run after Hamas is defeated. He conveyed this ahead of the visit of United States (US) Minister of Foreign Affairs Antony Blinken to the region.

Gallant on Thursday (4/1/2024) announced the plan to the press before submitting it to Prime Minister (PM) Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet.

Under the plan, Israel’s war in the region will continue until it succeeds in securing the return of the hostages taken by October 7, dismantling Hamas’ “military and administrative capabilities” and eliminating any remaining military threats.

The outline of the plan is that “Hamas will not control Gaza and will not pose a security threat to Israeli citizens”. Later, unnamed Palestinian bodies will take over the administration of the region.

“The residents of Gaza are Palestinians, therefore Palestinian bodies will be held accountable, provided there will be no hostile acts or threats against the State of Israel,” Gallant outlined, without specifying which organizations might be included, as quoted The Guardian.

According to the plan, “Israel reserves the right to operate in the region, but there will be no Israeli civilian presence in the Gaza Strip once the war objectives are achieved.”

The document released by Gallant was entitled “a vision for Phase 3 of the War”. He also said that the idea was Gallant’s policy and not official policy, which had to be determined by Israel’s war and security cabinet.

In his plans for the next phase of the war in Gaza, he described how Israeli forces would pivot to a seemingly smaller “new combat approach” in northern Gaza, while continuing to fight Hamas in the south of the territory.

Gallant’s statement said that in the north, Israeli forces would shift to a new approach that includes raids, air and ground activity tunnel destruction, as well as special operations. The goal is to “erode” the remaining presence of Hamas.

There was no word on whether northern Gaza residents, almost all of whom fled to the south, would be allowed to return.

The statement did not explain how the new approach differs from current operations, but Gallant previously said the approach would be on a lower scale.

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