The war between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas is going through a truce, due to the agreement for the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners and the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
However, Israel has already warned that the conflict will resume and will continue until Hamas is exterminated – which raises the question: what will be the future of the Gaza Strip, an enclave controlled by the terrorist group since 2007?
At the beginning of the month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the Jewish State would assume responsibility for the security of Gaza after the war “indefinitely”, an idea rejected by the United States, which opposes a new possibility of occupation. long-term development of Israel in the region.
Since then, some scenarios on the subject have been discussed between Middle Eastern and Western countries indirectly involved in the conflict.
One of the options is for Israel, despite disagreements from other nations, to take control of the region. However, this suggestion has already been rejected by the government itself, as stated by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant last month.
“We do not want to assume responsibilities for the Gaza Strip. Israel’s objective is to destroy Hamas and promote a new security reality for the citizens of our country and the region,” he said.
A second option, supported by the leader of the Israeli opposition in Parliament, Yair Lapid, would be the return of the Palestinian Authority, which controls parts of the West Bank, to the Gaza Strip.
In 2007, Hamas, which had won the local election the previous year, took full control of the Strip by expelling Fatah, the party of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
A third proposal, led by the US and which is partially related to the previous suggestion, advocates an alliance between Middle Eastern countries or international entities to manage Gaza.
This interim government, as proposed by the White House, would be maintained until a Palestinian authority was reestablished in the territory. All of these scenarios, of course, would only be possible with the effective defeat of Hamas.
So far, the conflict shows no signs that it is close to an end, amid declarations about the continuation of the war after the truce that began on Friday (24), which was extended until this Wednesday (29).
For Middle East specialist Gabriel Schorr, who was a soldier in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) for 23 years and has served on missions inside Gaza three times, the American proposal for the region is the closest to happening, “although the matter is still uncertain, due to the continuity of the conflict”.
Schorr explained that, as diplomatic negotiations take place, an environment conducive to the resumption of administration of Gaza by a Palestinian authority is created.
“When Israel achieves its objective of eliminating Hamas, the military presence in the region should continue for days or weeks until negotiations are established for a major agreement that, among other things, establishes new leadership for Gaza,” he said.
According to the expert, the first step towards achieving a new government in the region would come from the return of negotiations that were being developed between Israel and Saudi Arabia before the conflict began, on October 7th.
Currently, the countries do not have official diplomatic relations, however, they had started dialogues in search of regional partnerships, which were interrupted after the terrorist attacks on Israeli territory.
“Israel does not consider controlling Gaza, it would not have popular support, nor does it consider having permanent military dominance in the region. I believe that, after the destruction of Hamas, Israel would try to reach an agreement with Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia, to contain the remnants of the terrorist group in the area, and start a new modernization and investment project in Gaza”, he said.
Schorr recalled that, over the years, there have been several attempts to reach agreements to establish greater autonomy for the Palestinian people.
One of them was the Deal of the Century for the Middle East, proposed during the administration of Republican Donald Trump, which defended the creation of a State for the Palestinians and the formation of industrial and technological hubs in the region. This would be possible through investment by Arab countries in Gaza, in order to foster this independence and remove Israel’s responsibilities over the region.
“Perhaps it is time for these countries to get involved in helping the Palestinians. Occupying Gaza is not an option for the Israeli government. Both Israel and certain Arab countries want peace for the region and this development project appears to be a path for new generations, to put an end to the indoctrination of terrorism and for the Palestinians to have a future. Therefore, the future of Gaza depends on the involvement of these countries. The United Arab Emirates and Dubai are proof of this, you take sand rubble and create a future,” said the specialist.
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