Jerusalem:
Once a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas takes effect, part of the focus will shift to the monumental task of rebuilding and governing the war-battered Gaza Strip.
Israel vowed to crush Hamas in retaliation for its October 7, 2023 attack, the deadliest in Israeli history.
The militant movement emerges from the war, the worst Gaza has ever seen, massively weakened but not totally defeated.
And fearing a repeat of the October 7 attack, Israel wants security guarantees.
– What are the challenges? –
The humanitarian situation is dire in Gaza, which even before the war was under Israeli blockade and where poverty and unemployment were rampant.
The UN estimates that rebuilding the territory, with more than half of its structures destroyed, will take up to 15 years and cost as much as $50 billion.
Critical infrastructure, including water distribution networks, has suffered extensive damage, while hunger plagues the makeshift shelters where most Gazans have sought refuge during the war.
Nearly all of the territory’s 2.4 million people have been displaced at least once due to bombardment and fighting, the UN says.
Most children have been out of school for more than a year, and only a handful of hospitals remain partially operational.
“It’s surreal to ignore the political stakes, given the scale of human and material destruction that has made Gaza uninhabitable,” said Xavier Guignard, a researcher on Palestinian issues at France-based Noria Research.
While Hamas has ruled Gaza since 2006, its rival the Palestinian Authority (PA), dominated by the Fatah movement, runs the West Bank.
“The Palestinian Authority lacks the resources and would rely on external donors,” said Guignard.
“Reconstruction plans often hinge on Gulf monarchies, particularly Saudi Arabia, stepping in with financial support. But these nations increasingly insist that the era of unconditional funding is over,” he added.
“Whatever happens, it will be a headache for everyone involved,” one diplomat said on condition of anonymity.
– What does Hamas want? –
Hamas, which won the last Palestinian legislative elections in 2006, indicated earlier in the war that it was not seeking to govern post-conflict Gaza.
“We are not willing to come back to govern the Gaza Strip,” senior Hamas official Bassem Naim said in a media interview last year.
Hamas sources have told AFP they would be ready to hand over Gaza’s civilian affairs to a Palestinian entity.
“In 2014, after the previous war, Hamas did not directly involve itself in reconstruction and showed flexibility by accepting an external committee,” said Yasser Abu Hein, a Palestinian political analyst.
Palestinian leaders across factions have long said that Gaza’s future is for them to decide, rejecting any outside interference.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out any role for Hamas in post-war Gaza governance.
During discussions in Cairo, Hamas and Fatah representatives agreed Gaza could be governed by a committee of non-partisan figures under the PA.
On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the PA “should invite international partners to help establish and run an interim administration” in Gaza.
Quietly supported by parts of the international community, the PA maintains a presence in Gaza, mainly through municipal employees.
Unofficial negotiations are under way regarding the reopening of the Rafah crossing, which links Gaza to Egypt.
If the PA secures a role in managing Rafah, that could allow it to re-establish itself in Gaza.
– What does Israel want? –
Starting on Sunday, truce mediators the United States, Qatar and Egypt will monitor the ceasefire via a body based in Cairo, Qatar’s prime minister said.
Israel occupied Gaza from 1967 until 2005, when it withdrew unilaterally and evacuated settlers.
Currently, Israel has no definitive stance on post-war governance beyond rejecting any role for Hamas.
Former defence minister Yoav Gallant, who resigned in early November, said Israel does not want to run Gaza after the war.
His successor, Israel Katz, has called for “total freedom of action” for the Israeli military in the territory.
Some far-right politicians, including government members, have called for the return of settlers.
Some Israeli media have also floated the possibility of an international force to help run Gaza.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
