Israeli PM proposes plan for post-war Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has proposed a plan for postwar Gaza that envisions local Palestinian officials without links to Hamas or its foreign backers governing the territory, Israeli media reported Friday.

The proposal, which Netanyahu submitted to his security cabinet late Thursday, would also see the Israeli army persisting in its war on Hamas until it achieves key goals.

Those include dismantling Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and securing the release of all hostages still held captive in Gaza. After the war ends, Gaza’s civil affairs would be run by ‘local officials with administrative experience’ and who are ‘not linked to countries or entities that support terrorism,’ the Times of Israel newspaper reported quoting key elements of Netanyahu’s plan.

Even after the war, the Israeli army would have ‘indefinite freedom’ to operate throughout Gaza to prevent any resurgence of terror activity, according to the plan.

“The plan states that Israel will move forward with its alreadyin-motion project to establish a security buffer zone on the Palestinian side of the strip’s border,” the report said, adding the zone would remain ‘as long as there is a security need for it.’

It also envisages Israeli security control “over the entire area west of Jordan” from the land, sea and air “to prevent the strengthening of terrorist elements in the (occupied West Bank) and the Gaza Strip and to thwart threats from them towards Israel,” the report said.

The plan envisages Gaza’s “complete demilitarisation... beyond what is required for the needs of maintaining public order”.

It aims to promote ‘deradicalisation in all religious, educational and welfare institutions in Gaza.’ A key element of the plan was the dismantling of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, the report said.

Israel has alleged that several employees of UNRWA took part in the Oct 7 attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.