Israeli defence minister unveils plan for post-war Gaza

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday presented his plan for the post-war administration of the Gaza Strip, saying neither Hamas nor Israel would govern the Palestinian territory after hostilities there conclude.

Gallant unveiled an outline of his plan for the “day after” the war to the press before submitting it to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet.

Under the plan, Israel’s war in the territory will continue until it has secured the return of the hostages taken on October 7, dismantled Hamas’s “military and governing capabilities”, and removed any remaining military threats.

After that, the outline says, a new phase will begin during which “Hamas will not control Gaza and will not pose a security threat to the citizens of Israel”, with local Palestinian bodies assuming the territory´s governance.

Israel would reserve its right to operate inside the territory, the plan states, but there would be “no Israeli civilian presence in the Gaza Strip after the goals of the war have been achieved”.