jordan pulse -

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant announced on Wednesday his opposition to Israel exercising “control” militarily or civilly over the Gaza Strip after the end of the war, calling for a Palestinian alternative to Hamas to govern the enclave.

Galant said during a press conference in Tel Aviv, “I repeat clearly: I will not accept the establishment of an Israeli military administration in Gaza, and Israel should not have civil control over the Gaza Strip.”

He added, “I call on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare that Israel will not impose civil control over the Gaza Strip, that Israel will not establish a military command in the Gaza Strip, and that an immediate governmental alternative to Hamas will be prepared.”

Netanyahu had earlier considered that there is no point in any discussion about the future administration of the Gaza Strip before the elimination of Hamas.

He added that “talks about ‘the day after’ as long as Hamas remains as it is, will not exceed being mere empty words.”

Galant responded that “the end of the military campaign must be accompanied by political action,” while Israel has been conducting a ground aggression for about 10 days in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, in an attempt to eliminate Hamas.

Galant considered that “‘the day after Hamas’ will only exist with the control of Palestinian entities over Gaza, alongside international actors, and the formation of an alternative government to Hamas. This is, above all, in the interest of the State of Israel.”

He emphasized that “the idea of military and civil leadership in Gaza” is “negative and dangerous for the State of Israel strategically, militarily, and from a security standpoint.”

Galant estimated that if that happened, “the military management of Gaza will become the main military and security effort of the State of Israel in the coming years, at the expense of other areas. The price to be paid will be bloodshed, victims, as well as a high economic cost.”

According to him, the “battle plan” in the Gaza Strip presented by the military to the government after October 7, stipulates working “simultaneously” on the military destruction of Hamas and “installing a non-hostile Palestinian governmental alternative” to Israel.

Yoav Galant expressed his regret saying, “Since October, I have repeatedly raised this issue with the government and have received no response.”

Netanyahu said via Telegram, in what appears to be an implicit criticism of Galant, that “the first condition for paving the way for another entity is the destruction of Hamas, and doing so without looking for excuses.”

The Israeli National Security Minister, the extreme right-wing Itamar Ben-Gvir, said: “The defense minister who failed on October 7, and continues to fail today. Such a minister must be replaced to achieve the war’s objectives.”

Justice Minister Yariv Levin, a member of the Likud party led by Netanyahu, said: “The Israeli people will not agree to hand over Gaza to the control of the Palestinian Authority,” and its security “will only be guaranteed through determination for victory.”

The extreme right-wing Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich considered that Galant “announced today his support for the establishment of a Palestinian terrorist state.”

AFP