Israel has no plan for Gaza after Hamas rule, the Israeli defense chief says

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NPR

May 16, 2024 6:02 AM ET



TEL AVIV, Israel — Amid growing frustration in Israel over where the war is headed eight months in, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday accused Israel's leadership of ignoring his requests to discuss a replacement to Hamas rule in Gaza. "Since October, I have been raising this issue consistently in the Cabinet, and have received no response," Gallant said.

His speech, broadcast live, is the harshest rebuke yet of Israel's war strategy in Gaza from within Israel's three-man war cabinet. It set off a political firestorm that could threaten Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hold on power.

How the controversy began

The debate over the "day after" in Gaza erupted when Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari was asked at a news conference Tuesday whether Israeli troops had been sent to retake areas of Gaza they had retreated from because there were no governing alternatives to Hamas. Hagari said a replacement for Hamas would pressure the militant group, but that it was a question for Israel's political leaders.

Netanyahu then said in a video released by his office Wednesday that discussions about a "day-after" strategy are meaningless until Hamas is defeated, and said some of Israel's efforts to replace Hamas are covert. Gallant appeared to refute Netanyahu's claims, saying no efforts were being made to establish an an alternative to Hamas in Gaza. He called on Netanyahu to declare that Israel would not establish civil or military rule in Gaza for the long term.

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2024/05/16/1251564884/israel-gaza-day-after-gallant-netanyahu

[no_hypocrisy]

1. But the Settlors do.

And Israel won’t stop them.

This isn’t Exodus 2024.

[enough]

2. No problem. Jared Kushner does.

[Srkdqltr]

3. Gaza will not exist. Thats the point.

[jimfields33]

6. Can't new elections be called by Israel for Gaza?

That’s what Gaza needs is new leadership. Having Hamas rule the Palestinians had not been good for them.

[Lonestarblue]

10. The most experienced leader has been jailed by Israel for years.

“After more than two decades in an Israeli jail, Barghouti remains the most popular Palestinian leader there is, consistently leading opinion polls ahead of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

For Palestinians, he is a political prisoner. For Israelis, he is a terrorist accused of leading a militant offshoot of the Fatah movement known as the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and convicted of ordering killings and suicide bombings during the second intifada, or uprising.”

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/marwan-barghouti-peace-1.7154912

[jimfields33]

11. Had he not ordered killings, he might still be running

things. He probably would be been a hundred percent better than Hamas.

[AnrothElf]

12. Weird that Palestinians most popular leaders are terrorists!

It's almost like Gazans actually *elected* Hamas back in 2007, after Israel unilaterally withdrew from the strip.

Hard to be an "occupied territory" when you're not actually occupied, I guess.

[NickB79]

24. That's their best leader?!?!

Someone who sent suicide bombers to kill women and children?

Jesus Christ......

[IronLionZion]

14. Hamas took power through torture and murder, killing any opposition

and torturing anyone accused of colluding with Israel.

[cstanleytech]

22. It's going to exist but the people living there will be forced to focus more on rebuilding.

I don't know if that is Israel's goal or just a side benefit but I do know that the majority over what's happening is the fault of Hamas deciding it would be a good idea for them to drag all of the people in Gaza into a war just because Hamas is in control of the government in Gaza.

[JustAnotherGen]

4. Ahh Bibi

The hell? Look - Covert or out in the open - I think the Palestinians need to pick their own leaders in a two state solution. That way when things are awful - they aren't blaming another country for their country's shit ass management.

[2naSalit]

5. They have no plan...

For the Palestinians, they have plans for Gaza, after they eliminate the Palestinians.

[jimfields33]

7. I don't think Ukraine has any plans yet either.

Doing post war plans during a war doesn’t make sense. Let them finish and then assess the damage.

[thesquanderer]

17. Ukraine is not trying to eliminate the government of Russia. n/t

[jimfields33]

19. Ok. So wait on deciding who will run the place.

I certainly hope it’s not Hamas. They need to vote and vote smart.

[Srkdqltr]

8. Yes. Thats the whole point.

[marble falls]

9. Only because Jared Kushner has plans to develop it with over $2Billion in Saudi big bucks. Allegedly. Allegedly.

[AnrothElf]

13. Gazans: "We want self-determination!!"

Israel: Unilaterally withdraws and lets Gazans govern themselves.

Gazans: "No, not like that!"

[patphil]

15. The trouble is that the Defence Chief doesn't have the final say.

What I see as the emerging "plan" for Gaza is either a land grab by Israel, further concentrating the people of Gaza into a smaller space. Right wing settlers would take a big chunk of Gaza, probably in the north and east.
Or and outright annexation of the entire Gaza area.
It's evident Israel has no interest in fixing what's broken in Gaza, only in absorbing more, if not all of it.
This is a logical extension of what has been going on in the West Bank for decades.

[LeftInTX]

23. It's probably not worth a "land grab". Israel has plenty of vacant property in the area.

Seriously the land around Gaza is more or less inhabited.

There were settlers who transferred to Gaza from old Sinai settlements. But Israel closed all of them in 2005. The area was deemed too dangerous for settlers. Sure there are some crazy settlers who "want their land back".
However, there weren't even that many in 2005 when Israel packed up.

The West Bank is a nice place geographically.
The Negev desert, where Gaza is located is not.
Gaza is gonna be a toxic waste site for quite awhile.

I think Netanyahu really doesn't have a plan.
He's just happy spending US dollars like the Shah of Iran did.
Keep the money coming and it's "bombs away".

[sarisataka]

16. Isn't the goal for the Palestinians to be self-governing?

So, wouldn't an Israeli sponsored replacement run counter to that goal?

Why do I think if Israel did have a replacement for Hamas in mind, there would be cries of "colonialism"?

[thesquanderer]

18. I think they would still need an interim plan, even to be able to implement palestinian elections

and manage basic services.

[sarisataka]

25. I don't think Israel should unilaterally decide that

Shouldn't the UN, despite their unequal stance, be involved?

[thesquanderer]

20. Don't plan for something in advance of it happening? Seriously?

"discussions about a 'day-after' strategy are meaningless until Hamas is defeated" sounds like idiocy.

[et tu]

21. i'm sure there are plans

just not ones to be publicized ~

[Igel]

26. A lot were floated.

And all the "partners for peace" that could have stepped up either didn't want to tangle with the murderous thugs that Hamas would bring to a dark alley near them or didn't want to be seen as betraying the good guys by even discussing the possibility of working with Israel after a Hamas military defeat.

That left outsiders such as the Mizrahi-majority Israelis or actual Europeans or Americans--or other outsiders.

Hard to make a plan for multilateral cooperation when you're alone in the room.