As the world focuses on the conflict between Israel and Gaza, questions arise about Israel’s post-war plan for the Gaza Strip.
Despite the cease-fire agreement, there seems to be no clear indication of an endgame strategy to address the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
While the world watched the violence unfold, many now wonder what comes next.
The lack of a comprehensive plan for Gaza’s recovery raises serious concerns. In the aftermath of the conflict, Gaza is left with widespread destruction, a crippled infrastructure, and a population in desperate need of assistance.
Trips to Israel by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin this past week had stressed the need to focus on the post-war plan for Gaza, the source added.
Arab officials are also alarmed that Israel hasn’t set out a clear plan for the future of the enclave, ruled by Hamas since 2006 and home to 2.3 million people.
“Israel doesn’t have an endgame for Gaza. Their strategy is to drop thousands of bombs, destroy everything and go in, but then what? They have no exit strategy for the day after,” said one regional security source.
An Israeli invasion has yet to start, but Gaza authorities say 3,500 Palestinians have already been killed by the aerial bombardment, around a third of them children – a larger death toll than in any previous conflict between Hamas and Israel.
Biden, on a visit to Israel on Wednesday, told Israelis that justice needed to be served to Hamas, though he cautioned that after the 9/11 attacks on New York, the U.S. had made mistakes.
The “vast majority of Palestinians are not Hamas”, he said. “Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people.”
Without a well-defined strategy, the situation in Gaza could deteriorate further, potentially leading to future conflicts.