Israel is looking for Palestinians who are not linked to Hamas to manage civil affairs in areas of the Gaza Strip designed as testing grounds for post-war administration of the territory, a senior Israeli official told Reuters on Thursday (22). .
But Hamas claims that this plan – which the Israeli source says also excludes anyone from the Palestinian Authority (PA) – would effectively mean an Israeli re-occupation of the Gaza Strip and was doomed to failure.
The Israeli official said these planned “humanitarian pockets” would be in districts of the Gaza Strip from where Hamas was expelled, but that their ultimate success would depend on Israel achieving its goal of destroying the Islamist faction across the small coastal territory. .
“We are looking for the right people to take responsibility,” the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. “But it is clear that this will take time, as no one will speak out if they think Hamas will put a target on their head.”
The plan, the source added, “can be achieved once Hamas is destroyed and does not pose a threat to Israel or Gazans.”
Israel's Channel 12 reported that the Zeitoun neighborhood in northern Gaza City was a candidate for implementing the plan, under which local merchants and civil society leaders would distribute humanitarian aid.
The Israeli military would provide peripheral security in Zeitoun, Channel 12 said, describing new troop incursions there this week as aimed at rooting out the remnants of a Hamas garrison that was hit hard in the early stages of the war.
There was no official confirmation of the Channel 12 report.
“Sign of confusion”
Asked about the Israeli official's comments and the Channel 12 report, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said such a plan would amount to Israel's reoccupation of Gaza following the withdrawal of troops and settlers in 2005.
Israel claims it will have indefinite security control over Gaza after the war, but denies that this would be a re-occupation.
“We are confident that this project is useless and is a sign of confusion and will never succeed,” Abu Zuhri told Reuters.
The Israeli source also made clear that the Palestinian Authority (PA), which exercises limited power in the West Bank, would also be excluded as a partner in “humanitarian pockets” due to its failure to condemn Hamas for the attack on Israel on October 7.
“Anyone who participated in, or even did not condemn, the 7th of October is ruled out,” said the official.
A senior official at the Palestine Liberation Organization, of which the PA is a part, also appeared to reject the Israeli plan on Thursday.
“All attempts by Israel to change the geographic and demographic characteristics of Gaza will not be successful,” he told Reuters.
The United States has called for a “revitalized” Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza after the war. But Israel took the idea in stride, noting that the PA provides payments to jailed militants.
Source: CNN Brasil
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