Prime Minister Netanyahu is considering relying on Palestinian Authority employees living in Gaza to manage life in the Gaza Strip after the end of the first phase of the war. This is how Israel Hayom found out. The idea has been considered as part of a variety of options and no final decision has yet been made.
Netanyahu: "The IDF will continue to control the Gaza Strip the day after" // GPO
Netanyahu has spoken out many times against handing over the management of life in the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Authority. Those close to him say in response that in any case he will insist that the body that will operate the future secretariat be free of terrorism and incitement to terrorism. However, Netanyahu's circle did not rule out the idea of relying on PA employees to take part in the future government.
The prime minister discussed last night with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin the various ways to manage the Gaza Strip the day after. In addition, the two dealt extensively with the Houthis' violation of freedom of maritime movement in Bab al-Mandeb. The senior US official updated Netanyahu, as well as the War Cabinet, on the efforts taken by the US to form an international coalition that would act against the Houthis and restore maritime security to the critical route.
Israel expressed great satisfaction with the messages Austin conveyed during his various meetings in Israel. The senior American official participated in a meeting of the War Cabinet and held additional meetings with Defense Minister Yoav Galant and Minister Benny Gantz. In all his talks he expressed absolute support for Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas and made it clear that the United States would continue to assist Israel in the war.
"I'm here to emphasize what President Biden has said over and over again: Our commitment to Israel is unwavering. I am here to mourn with you for the pure souls that were taken from you on the seventh of October, and I am also here to stand with the families of those still in Gaza, including citizens of the United States. America's commitment to Israel is strong. We will continue to provide Israel with the necessary equipment for you to defend your country, Mr. Prime Minister, including critical ammunition, tactical vehicles and air defense systems."
Regarding the Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, the US minister said, "No person, organization or country should test our determination. In the Red Sea, we are leading a multinational task force to support the fundamental principle of freedom of navigation. Iran's support for Houthi attacks on commercial vessels must end."
Meanwhile, the Political Security Cabinet met last night in Tel Aviv to discuss the state of the fighting and receive an update on the feasibility of a new deal for the release of the hostages. Yesterday, Mossad chief Dadi Barnea held his second meeting in three days with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani. According to foreign media reports, the meeting was held in Warsaw and was attended by American representatives. Israel Hayom has learned that there are other channels through which Israel is trying to promote a hostage deal, even though the route led by the head of the Mossad is the main one.
The assessment is that the very resumption of dialogue with the Qataris indicates that there is a possibility of reaching another deal in the end. However, the talks are at a very preliminary stage and it still seems that it will be very difficult to reach an agreed outline.
Yesterday, the cabinet heard the first voices of criticism of the pace of the war's progress by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. At a meeting of the Otzma Yehudit faction yesterday, Ben-Gvir said that "after 73 days of fighting, Hamas is not overwhelmed. When you want to decide, you don't transfer money to any official, even if it's an UNRWA official. When you want to decide, you don't take breaks. And we do not allow our enemies to impose appalling conditions in the release of the hostages. Every day it is permissible to publish another hero of ours who was killed in Gaza, instead of being allowed to publish that thousands of terrorists were killed in Gaza. There is no free hand to implement the death penalty law for terrorists that would have allowed us to make a simple comparison: every day that abductees do not return, another Nukhba is executed. We must stop talking in the language of deals, but in the language of decisions."
Ben-Gvir further claims that "from the humanitarian evacuation zones they fire missiles, they fire at our soldiers, and we continue with humanitarian measures and humanitarian gestures, the time has come for a decisive decision. And I say this to the prime minister, Gantz and Galant."
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