Israel’s The Jerusalem Post has published Israel’s secret plan for the Gaza Strip after hostilities end. It aims to establish a military government and strengthen regional ties with Arab countries that will help establish a Palestinian state.
The first phase involves the creation of an Israeli military government in Gaza that will oversee humanitarian aid and take responsibility for the civilian population during a “transitional period,” The Jerusalem Post reports.
At the same time, in the second phase, an international Arab coalition will be formed, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and others. This coalition should be part of a broader agreement on regional normalization, which supports the establishment of a “new Palestinian Authority”.
The officials, who are not affiliated with Hamas, will inherit the administration of Gaza from Israel, ending military rule. Israel will retain the right to conduct security operations in Gaza, mirroring its operations in the West Bank, whenever operational needs arise.
The next phase, which depends on the stabilization of Gaza and the success of the new entity (the “new Palestinian Authority”), entails extensive reforms in the occupied West Bank regarding the functionality, educational content and terror management of the Palestinian Authority.
If this phase proceeds smoothly within a pre-defined time frame of two to four years, Israel will recognize a delineated Palestinian state within the Palestinian Authority’s territory and consider the transfer of additional territory.
That secret plan was devised in Israel by a “group of businessmen” and was also shared with American officials. Among these businessmen, several are closely related to Prime Minister Netanyahu, while one is particularly close.
Representing Netanyahu’s trial balloon, the initiative is in line with a comprehensive US-led Middle East effort that includes Gaza, the Palestinian Authority and Saudi Arabia. Although Netanyahu is not directly involved in these discussions (delegating them to his trusted adviser Ron Dermer), he actively forwards and considers these ideas, always able to deny direct involvement by attributing it to “businessmen”.
It is important to note that this plan is part of Israel’s broader “day after” strategy, along with several other initiatives. Coordination is underway by Major General Rasan Alian, the coordinator of government activities in the territories, with the IDF and Shin Bet each developing their own plans.
This approach is typical of Netanyahu’s method: deploying multiple envoys for parallel missions while he himself remains disengaged. The businessman’s plan is the main one that Netanyahu is considering, but from a “safe distance” typical of him, according to the Israeli newspaper.
