The international community began a dialogue with the Palestinian Authority about seizing power in Gaza the day after the collapse of the Hamas regime, according to public statements by the presidents of the United States and France and information obtained by Israel Hayom.
The conversations went beyond ideas of principle and went into high levels of detail. Among other things, PA representatives asked for compensation for their willingness to take back control of the Gaza Strip.
Among the expectations they raised: limiting Israeli construction in Judea and Samaria, and recognizing the existence of a Palestinian state immediately upon the PA's entry into the Gaza Strip.
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The contacts with the Palestinians are taking place behind Israel's back, whose leaders are still focused on the war plans and are not available to discuss the political solutions that will follow.
Senior Israeli officials told Israel Hayom that as far as they were concerned, it was too early to discuss the question of who would rule the Gaza Strip after the collapse of Hamas and the denial of its military capabilities.
In cabinet meetings, the issue actually came up and various ideas were mentioned: there was talk of an international regime in Gaza, Egyptian patronage, Israeli control, the return of the Palestinian Authority, the return of Muhammad Dahlan, and more. However, no decisions were made, and it was agreed that Hamas must first be crushed, and only then discuss the political outlines.
But while Israel refrains from dealing with political solutions, the West does not wait. US President Joe Biden said at the White House on Tuesday that "when this crisis is over, there should be a vision of what will come next. In our opinion, it must be a two-state solution."
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French President Macron added during his visit to Cairo that "decisive action must be taken to achieve the two-state solution. We have to do it at this point because we've waited too long. It's urgent and important, and I think it's a path to follow in parallel with the fight against terrorism."
Thus, while Western leaders and Israel's allies are re-promoting the idea of a united Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, the government and cabinet have ministers who reject it out of hand.
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One minister claimed that the murderous Hamas attack further reduced the Israeli public's willingness to make concessions and withdrawals in exchange for peace agreements.
"It is inconceivable that Israeli blood will be drained in order to establish Abu Mazen's rule in Gaza, and that he will still present us with conditions," the minister said.
Another cabinet minister thought that "the proposal to return the PA to Gaza is a bad idea. The PA is not fighting terrorism in the West Bank, except for what endangers it among Hamas members. It is an unstable factor that cannot be trusted."
A third minister noted that the Palestinian Authority did not condemn Hamas' terrorist attack at all, and vice versa: "The PA minister of endowments called on the Arab public in Judea and Samaria to attack the Jewish settlement en masse. Another minister attended the funeral of one of the terrorists killed in Tulkarm. Do you want to put them in Gaza?" he asked.
The Prime Minister's Office said in response that they were not familiar with the Palestinian demands.
A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Israel responded to a request from Israel Hayom that "the United States will continue to support efforts that will pave the way for a two-state solution. Israelis and Palestinians equally deserve to live in security, dignity and peace.
"The United States remains committed to the dignity of the Palestinian people and their right to self-determination. The actions of Hamas terrorists did not deprive them [the Palestinians] of their right to do so."
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