Amidst a struggle to reach a ceasefire and hostage agreement, influential members of Israel's security community quietly worked to create the frameworks for aid distribution in Gaza, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing Israeli and Arab officials. This would involve the creation of a Palestinian governing authority, the report said.
This is one of the first reports to emerge of Israel taking steps to consider who will govern Gaza after the war ends, with the goal of closing the power vacuum that Hamas would leave behind and fears of terrorist resurgences. It also outlines a comprehensive plan to bolster aid and ensure it is received by those who need it most.
These reports have faced pushback from both Hamas, which seeks to retain its control over the Gaza Strip, as well as sparked debate within Israel's war cabinet.
An Israeli defense official has been involved in ongoing talks with Jordan, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates to establish regional support to gather Palestinian businessmen and leaders, without affiliations to Hamas, to take the lead in aid distribution.
Delivering aid would develop into leadership
The aspiration is for the aid to enter via border crossings and a seaport, undergoing Israeli inspection. From there, it would enter warehouses in central Gaza, where it would be handled and distributed by Palestinians, WSJ reported.
The eventual goal would be for the Palestinians handling this aid to later govern the Gaza Strip, with the support of Arab states in the region.
As far as reports say, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes this plan, as it would likely involve Fatah, whom Netanyahu views as supporting terrorists, the report said.
The report also said that Hamas strongly opposed this kind of plan, as it considers anyone working with Israelis to be a traitor. Similarly, many Palestinian families who were once open to such ideas of aid distribution and assisting in governance have backed away from such proposals, possibly due to Hamas threats.