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Since the start of the Gaza ceasefire, Hamas has been busy demonstrating its continued power and control over the Gaza Strip, rendering futile the months-long discussions over who should be given the power to rule the enclave after the war.
Israel and its government have been particularly criticized for not presenting a detailed plan for what should happen with the area at the end of the ongoing war.
In a rare appearance on the Knesset stage on Wednesday, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer again rejected the demand that Israel should provide a plan, only noting that Israel is “working on it and I am a partner in this work regarding the day after in Gaza.”
He also reiterated his belief that any plan presented by Israel would be “dead on arrival.”
“Because this is an Israeli plan, we need to harness both the United States and the forces in the region, and I am very optimistic that it will be possible to reach management in Gaza the day after exactly according to the framework established by the Prime Minister. We will talk less and do more,” Dermer said.
Dermer is seen as a close associate and confidante of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and has reportedly worked as his personal representative on sensitive issues, like the plans for Gaza after the war.
Also Wednesday, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) denied reports that the Palestinian Authority (PA) would be tasked with running the Rafah border crossing.
However, the PMO’s statement provided a possible glimpse at the Israeli preferences for future governance in the Gaza Strip.
The PMO stated that “The report is incorrect despite efforts by the Palestinian Authority to create a false picture to the effect that it controls the crossing.”
According to the PMO, as part of the first stage of the ceasefire agreement, “IDF forces are positioned around the crossing and there is no passage without the supervision, oversight and advance approval of the IDF and the ISA.”
“The technical management inside the crossing is being carried out by Gazans not affiliated with Hamas, with security by the ISA, who have been managing civilian services in the Strip, such as electricity, water and sewage, since the start of the war. Their work is supervised by the international EUBAM force.”
This is the “European Union Border Assistance Mission for the Rafah Crossing Point,” which is tasked with supporting the PA’s border agencies “by mentoring and advising personnel … towards a modern, sustainable border management system in line with EU and international standards.”
According to the PMO, the PA is currently only involved in the border crossing’s management through providing stamps on passports, “which according to the existing international arrangement, is the only way Gazans may leave the Strip in order to enter, or be received in, other countries.”
“This procedure is correct for the first stage of the framework and will be evaluated in the future,” the PMO added.
The model of Israeli forces working with international groups and local, non-Hamas affililated Palestinians has long been reported to be Israel’s preferred governance model going forward.
However, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman a-Safadi on Wednesday reiterated the official position of many regional countries, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, that the PA should rule both Gaza and the West Bank after the war. The Rest of The Story Here
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