Five weeks have passed since Hamas’s attack on Israel and the beginning of the conflict in Gaza, and more than 13 thousand people, mostly civilians, have been killed. Despite UN calls for a ceasefire, there is currently no sign of the war ending. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly reiterated that the raids will continue until Hamas is cleared from the Gaza Strip. So, if this goal is achieved, what will happen in Gaza the next day? Who will bear the burden of governing a region of 2 million people devastated by bombs?
Who will replace Hamas?
The answer to these questions is one of the diplomatic headaches for Israel and the United States, as well as for Palestinian groups and the Arab and Muslim world. Without Hamas, the first suspect to fill the power vacuum would be the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), whoever ruled the region until 2006. The most welcome hypothesis in Washington is: “There should be a unified political leadership in the West Bank and Gaza. The Palestinian Authority is the political leadership in the West Bank. In the long run, of course, determination is the ‘West Bank and Gaza’ White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.” “How the country is governed will depend on the Palestinian people,” he said.
Netanyahu says no to PNA
Sullivan’s remarks came in response to statements by Netanyahu, who has built a wall against the Palestinian Authority’s return to Gaza: “A civilian authority must cooperate to achieve two goals: one is to demilitarize Gaza, the other is to deradicalize.” Israeli prime minister The PNA unfortunately failed at both, he argued in an interview with the American broadcaster CNN. Netanyahu called for “Instead of returning Gaza to a failed past, we should offer it a better future. Let’s create a different reality.”
What many analysts point out is that Netanyahu’s declared intention to establish a new authority in the Strip, perhaps with the support of Saudi Arabia and Egypt, risks leading to its stillbirth anyway. Former US Colonel Joe Buccino wrote in the Israeli newspaper: “Any Arab state that joins Israeli forces and presides over devastated Gaza will face wrath and perhaps an uprising at home.” jerusalem post. In a way, it’s an argument that also applies to the PNA.
Distrust in Abbas
The Authority, led by 88-year-old Mahmoud Abbas, will also govern the West Bank, but there has long been a crisis of confidence among Palestinians. The European Union and the Jewish settlers cannot oppose their settlements. Moreover, the PNA is seen as too close to the Israeli armed forces, with IDF leaders on a collision course with Netanyahu. It is no coincidence that while the Israeli prime minister accused Abbas and his supporters of not condemning the Hamas attack on October 7, IDF chief Hertzi Halevi underlined the collaborative attitude of the Palestinian Authority.
But Halevi’s sweet words do not help improve the PNA’s image among the most radical segments of Palestinians: “No Palestinian, no sane person, would agree to return to Gaza with an American or Israeli tank,” said Hasan Khreisheh. Deputy chairman of the Palestinian Legislative Council. That’s why some analysts think some kind of agreement between Hamas, or what’s left of it, and the PNA for the future of the Strip is on the cards. A solution that could prevent a new civil war like the one that broke out in Gaza between Hamas and Fatah (Abbas’s movement) between 2006 and 2007.
power vacuum
“While destroying Hamas is a goal, it cannot be the end game,” says Buccino. As a result, Israel and the United States must now reflect on next steps to avoid a governance vacuum that could favor one group more. More violent and extreme than Hamas. For example, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad is the second largest militant group in the Gaza Strip and receives support from Iran, Syria and Hezbollah,” the former colonel recalls.
The picture is very complex and certainly does not help the divisions in the Arab and Muslim world, as seen at the last joint summit of the Arab League countries and the Organization of Islamic Conference. Here too, despite a joint statement from Tel Aviv condemning “Israel’s aggression against the Gaza Strip, its war crimes, and the barbaric and inhumane massacres carried out by the occupation government,” Arab and Muslim leaders are divided on which path to follow. for the post-war period. Iran, for example, is willing to reiterate its support for Hamas.
The impression here is that the hell of these days may not end for the 2 million residents of Gaza with the end of the war. The risk of living in a state of permanent instability is far beyond reality.
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Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
