After the end of Hamas rule
Ex-secret service chief considers “Arab Gaza mandate”
October 28, 2023, 7:40 p.m
Israel’s goal for the Gaza Strip has so far been defined by a negative: after the end of the war, Hamas should no longer rule there. The former head of military intelligence Jadlin is now suggesting that Arab states could ensure order in the future.
An Israeli security expert sees future control of the Gaza Strip through an “Arab mandate” as a possible solution after the war. “The day after depends on how successfully the goals are implemented,” said Amos Jadlin, former head of Israeli military intelligence, in an interview with journalists.
“An Arab mandate would be a coalition of Arab states that maintain peaceful relations with Israel,” said Jadlin, former head of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv. “It would be led by Egypt, which is very interested in the fate of the Gaza Strip.” According to Jadlin’s idea, some states would be responsible for law and order, especially Egypt, while others would be responsible for financial support, such as Saudi Arabia. “Others could contribute the vision of turning Gaza into something like Abu Dhabi and Singapore, something completely different from the terrorist state that Hamas created there.” Jadlin said he sees this as a good idea, but the likelihood is not very high.
Variant: Return of the autonomous authority
Another possibility is that President Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority would take back control of the Gaza Strip after a victory over Hamas. She was forcibly expelled by Hamas in 2007. “If Hamas is completely destroyed, the Palestinian Authority can return to the Gaza Strip the day after,” Jadlin said. “I’m not sure if they want this, the autonomous authority is very weak.” It is also unclear whether the current right-wing religious government in Israel would be interested in this.
The Israeli government has not yet published a plan for what to do next after the war in Gaza. For Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy, only one thing is currently clear: “When this war is over, Gaza will no longer be ruled by Hamas,” he said. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ruled out a renewed occupation of the Gaza Strip in the Israeli parliament. The aim was to “end Israel’s responsibility for the fate of the Gaza Strip and create a new security reality for the citizens of Israel and the region,” the minister said vaguely.