Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his plan for the Gaza Strip after the war in a document released on the 22nd of February.
The Pm envisions Gaza under the leadership of Gazans with no connections to Hamas, with limited military capability, and with a locked down southern border. Israel would take full control of security and would ti
ghten control over the borders even more.
The new government would presumably be appointed by Israel, leading to questions regarding who or what party would be appointed to the role, and whether or not they would serve Gaza’s best interests. It is important to note that Netanyahu has previously dismissed the notion of allowing the Palestinian Authority a role in administrating the region and makes no mention of the internationally backed body in the document.
Israel would take full control of security in the region, dismantling all military capability beyond what is necessary and establishing buffer zones to prevent further incursions into Israeli territory.
Lastly, and perhaps the statement with the most concerning implications is the announcement of “deradicalization programs”. These programs would be promoted in all religious and educational institutions and would, supposedly, aim to deradicalize members of the population. That being said, religious conversion and re-education programs have historically had a negative connotation, and without more details we cannot be certain what these programs entail. Netanyahu has stated that other Arab states would be involved with the process, but did not specify which ones, not to mention that any of these states have said previously that they would not support such efforts without a two state solution.