Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has outlined his plans for the Gaza Strip after the war, according to media reports. He wants full control by the army, “local officials” as administrators and a future without the Palestinian relief agency UNRWA.
What happens next after the war in the Gaza Strip? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on this issue. According to reports in the Haaretz and Times of Israel newspapers, he presented his security cabinet with a plan for managing the Gaza Strip after the fighting ends.
Accordingly, Israel should retain full security control over the entire coastal area. Regarding the future administration, the policy paper states in vague terms that it would be led by “local officials” with professional experience. These will be people without connections to “countries or organizations that support terrorism”.
What will become of the PA?
The Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs the West Bank, is not explicitly named in the plan. The USA is relying on a revamped PA led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and wants it to take control again in the Gaza Strip. Israel rejects this and accuses the autonomous authority of supporting terror.
Hamas violently drove the PA out of the coastal strip in 2007. Fatah and Hamas are the two largest Palestinian organizations and bitter rivals.
Netanyahu wants a future without UNRWA
The UN refugee agency UNRWA wants to close Netanyahu. Israel wants to work towards replacing UNRWA with other international aid organizations.
The war aims of destroying the terrorist organization Hamas and freeing all hostages also appear in Netanyahu’s plan. Netanyahu’s plans are not fundamentally new. But it is the first time that they have been formally presented to the cabinet.