Amid the intense fighting between Israel and Hamas militants in both the northern and southern fronts of Gaza, serious disagreements have emerged within the Israeli war cabinet regarding how to manage the Gaza issue post-conflict. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing pressure from multiple sides and is hesitating on the next steps.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant proposed that Israel should plan to assist in establishing a Palestinian governing body to replace Hamas in Gaza. He believes that this plan would eliminate the need for Israel’s long-standing military occupation of the enclave. According to Gallant, the prolonged military occupation of Gaza is a “passive and dangerous choice.”
Gallant stated that he disagrees with Israel conducting military or civil occupation in Gaza. He argued that such a strategy would result in significant economic losses. The Israeli Defense Forces acknowledged on Thursday that five of their soldiers were accidentally killed in northern Gaza, highlighting the continued high risks of casualties.
Gallant told reporters on Wednesday, “I have been raising this issue since October (when the war erupted), but have not received any response from the cabinet.” He mentioned that since the early stages of the war, he and the Defense Ministry presented their proposals to the cabinet, but did not get a response from Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Gallant hinted that if Prime Minister Netanyahu continues to ignore the issue, he may resign from the government.
Critics within the Israeli cabinet have long accused Netanyahu of making decisions not based on national interests but rather on political survival. The outcome of the corruption cases he is involved in may depend on his ability to remain in power.
Gallant’s proposal quickly gained support from Benny Gantz, a former opposition figure who joined Netanyahu’s government after the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7. Gantz stated that Gallant “spoke the truth” and that leadership should prioritize national interests and “do what is right for the country at all costs.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu promptly dismissed Gallant’s remarks. He told CNBC that he leans towards establishing a non-Hamas civilian government in Gaza overseen by the Israeli military.
Netanyahu and his allies have also indicated that they are not formulating post-war plans at this time and believe their reasons for doing so are evident and justified.
They argued that as long as Hamas remains capable of fighting against Israel or posing a threat, there will be no candidates stepping up to lead Gaza. Implied in their statements is the necessity to completely eradicate the Hamas organization before devising any post-war plans.
Another priority for Netanyahu is to prevent any involvement by the Palestinian Authority. The Authority currently governs parts of the West Bank and controlled Gaza before Hamas took over in 2007.
As staunch allies of Netanyahu and staunch right-wing nationalists, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Public Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir believe that the Palestinian Authority’s failure to condemn the October 7 attacks is tantamount to endorsing them and supporting further terrorist actions against Israel. They advocate for the military occupation of Gaza by Israel and the construction of new Jewish settlements as the only way to ensure Israel’s security.
The two are key pillars in Netanyahu’s ruling coalition and crucial for the political survival of this coalition, but they openly criticize Netanyahu for being indecisive on the post-Gaza war issue, even yielding to the United States.
They have repeatedly threatened to leave the government if Netanyahu does not support a full occupation of Rafah or discussions on establishing a Palestinian state.
As a significant ally and arms supplier to Israel, the United States has continuously urged Israel to focus more on post-war planning to prevent power vacuums in large areas of Gaza.
US diplomats have expressed disappointment with Israel’s reluctance to formulate post-war plans, criticizing Israel for not being receptive to suggestions from Europe or the US.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated this week that even if Israel fully controls the southern Gaza city of Rafah, thousands of armed militants could still remain in the enclave.
The battle launched by the Israeli military in Gaza has been ongoing for seven months, severely damaging Hamas’ control over the Gaza Strip, with large portions of Gaza being leveled.
Currently, ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas have been at a standstill for months, with no end in sight to the ceasefire, and fierce fighting continues across Gaza. Although Israel claims that Hamas forces in these areas were eliminated months ago, Israeli troops are still engaging in combat with Hamas militants in the northern region, underscoring the organization’s ability to reassemble militarily with support from Iran.
Lately, Israeli tanks and troops have entered Rafah. Israel believes that Hamas leaders are hiding there, and some Israeli hostages are being held captive, but there have been no reports yet regarding the status of Hamas leaders and Israeli hostages.