Defense Minister Yoav Gallant submitted to the War Cabinet Thursday a plan for the future of the Gaza Strip, once Hamas has been defeated. Before the meeting, he also presented the outline to the press.
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"Hamas will no longer rule Gaza, and Israel will not rule Gaza on a civilian level," Gallant declared in the preamble.
According to the plan, the local administration of the Palestinians will rely on the capacities of the existing administrative mechanism in Strip, and on local committees composed of Gazans whose appointment must be approved by Israel.
Gallant rejected any possibility of Jewish resettlement in the territory.
"Once the objectives of the war are achieved, Israel will not be civilly responsible for Gaza, and there will be no Israeli civilian presence in the Gaza Strip," he said.
In addition, an international force composed of moderate Arab countries as well as the United States and Europe will assume responsibility for the reconstruction and economic rehabilitation of the territory.
Israel, for its part, will retain the capacity to operate militarily in the Gaza Strip without restriction. "Israel will maintain its freedom of military action in the Gaza Strip – without limits," Gallant stressed.
He is also slated to present a plan for the Rafah terminal on the border with Egypt, itself riddled with Hamas smuggling tunnels. The minister indicated that "a joint operation would be carried out by Israel and Egypt in cooperation with the United States, to ensure the effective isolation of the border between Gaza and Egypt, and the control of the entry of goods by physical and technological means."
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