Officials from the United States and Israel are considering, among other possibilities, the establishment of an interim government backed by the UN and in which other Arab governments participate, once Hamas is evicted, ‘Bloomberg’ has reported, citing sources familiar with the deliberations on the future of the Gaza Strip from the US Executive.
The aforementioned talks are still in their most incipient phase, according to the same sources, who have explained that their evolution depends on milestones that have not yet occurred, such as Israel’s success after a ground offensive, and that any solution of this type It necessarily requires the support of the Arab nations in the region, something that is not guaranteed either.
“The Palestinian people of Gaza deserve leadership that allows them to live in peace and security. I am not in a position to say today exactly what that is, but it is the right question to ask now, as this develops, because we have “We have to think not only in the immediate term, but also in the long term,” argued the US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, on CBS last Sunday.
However, according to former Central Intelligence Agency Middle East analyst William Usher, establishing a caretaker government would be incredibly difficult and gaining the acquiescence of Arab governments even more so, since such a plan “would require radical change.” in the way Arab states accept risks and collaborate with each other. “It would also require a leap of confidence on the part of Jerusalem, a commodity that is in short supply,” Usher added.
Although the Israeli Government has repeatedly stated that it does not intend to occupy Gaza, it has also reiterated several times that Hamas’s continued hold on power is unacceptable following the attack on October 7, which has already killed 1,400 Israelis. and after which 200 people have been taken hostage.
For its part, the United States has expressed concern that an attack on Gaza without a specific objective beyond the expulsion of Hamas could turn the current conflict between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement into a regional war. In this sense, another of the concerns of the US Executive is linked to the idea that Israel has not thought enough about what will happen after a future ground attack.
In this regard, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant suggested this Friday that Israel’s intention is not to manage the territory of Gaza once military operations have ended, but to create a “new security reality” in the region.
Thus, the White House National Security Council has defended that the priority at this time is to unite the world against terrorists – Hamas is considered by the EU and the US as a terrorist group – and to provide humanitarian aid. to Gaza as soon as possible.
To this end, the United States and its allies are trying to postpone the announced invasion with the aim of getting as many people as possible to leave northern Gaza and to secure the release of the hostages who are still being held.
For his part, leader of the Israeli opposition, Yair Lapid, defended this Thursday from Tel Aviv that “the best thing is for the Palestinian Authority – defeated by Hamas in the elections held in 2006 – to return to Gaza.”
