Israel
Gaza will be governed by a Palestinian body after Israel-Hamas war is over, says Yoav Gallant
He also outlined Israel’s plans for the next stage of the war with Hamas terrorists in the Strip
January 5, 2024 10:53
He also outlined Israel’s plans for the next stage of the war with Hamas terrorists in the Strip
January 5, 2024 10:53Gaza will be run by a Palestinian body under overall Israeli security control after the war, Israel’s defence minister has said.
Yoav Gallant outlined Israel’s plans for the next stage of the Jewish state’s war with Hamas terrorists in the Strip and his vision for a future arrangement of governance.
Gallant's statement gave no details about what sort of Palestinian body he envisioned running Gaza but he said the entity "will build on the capabilities of the existing administrative mechanism (civil committees)” in the Strip.
After the war, Gallant said Hamas would no longer control Gaza and Israel would reserve its operational freedom of action, with a multinational task force led by the United States in partnership with the European Union and regional partners taking responsibility for rehabilitating the territory.
He stressed that Israel would "provide information to guide civilian operations" and continue to inspect goods entering Gaza for security reasons.
"Gaza residents are Palestinian, therefore Palestinian bodies will be in charge, with the condition that there will be no hostile actions or threats against the State of Israel," he went on to say.
He also ruled out a return of the Israeli settlements in Gaza withdrawn in 2005, saying there would be no Israeli civilian presence.
Turning to military approach, Gallant said the IDF would base its strategy on a new, more targeted approach in the northern section of the enclave and a continuing pursuit of Hamas leaders in the south.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far resisted laying out a clear vision for the future of Gaza but has ruled out a role for the Palestinian Authority, the body that was set up under the 30-year-old Oslo Accords and exercises limited governance in the West Bank.
Israel launched its offensive in Gaza following the October 7 attack by Hamas terrorists who killed about 1,200 people.