Israel seeks 'governing alternative' to Hamas in Gaza

Israel is looking into an alternative local governing body for Gaza the defence minister said on Sunday proposing a future beyond Hamas but giving no idea who those challengers might beDefence Minister Yoav Gallants comments came at a time of new uncertainty in the eightmonth war Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under growing pressure from many Israelis to accept a new ceasefire deal proposed by US President Joe Biden while farright allies threaten to collapse his government if he doesGallant part of Israels threemember War Cabinet who recently urged the government to have a detailed postwar plan for Gaza said in a briefing that we seek a governing alternative to Hamas The framework for this includes isolating areas removing Hamas operatives in these areas and bringing in other forces that will enable the formation of a governing alternativeThat will achieve Israels goals of removing Hamas military and governing authority in Gaza and returning home the remaining hostages taken in the October 7 Hamas attack that sparked the war Gallant said He stressed that we will not accept the rule of Hamas at any stage in any process aimed at ending the warAn Israeli defence official told AP that Gallant hopes to enable isolated Hamasfree areas in Gaza to become hubs of local government and identify forces that can enable a longerterm formation of a governmentIsrael is looking for local nonhostile actors the official said adding that Gallant believes that Palestinians should be governing Palestinians Israel would facilitate surges of aid to the areas and the local forces would be responsible for distributing it to strengthen their authorityBut that approach is challenging and has failed before one expert said I havent heard of any local players that are brave enough to present themselves as an alternative to Hamas said Michael Milshtein an Israeli analyst of Palestinian affairs at Tel Aviv University and a former military intelligence officerMilshtein said Gallants wishful thinking would amount to a suicidal mission for any local leader Hamas has threatened anyone cooperating with Israels government Although Hamas suffered severe damage over the past eight months their impact on the public is still very strong he saidMilshtein noted that Israel has tried this approach in the past In the 1970s and 80s Israel tried to establish village leagues empowering local Palestinian leadersThey were considered in the eyes of Palestinians as collaborators and it ended in a very tragic manner he said Unless Israel maintains a constant presence in Gaza any alternative forces they try to install will be too fragile he addedNetanyahu has said Israel will maintain security control over Gaza but delegate civilian administration to local Palestinians unaffiliated with Hamas or the Westernbacked Palestinian Authority He has ruled out a path to Palestinian statehoodTop ally the US has proposed that a reformed Palestinian Authority would govern Gaza with the assistance of Arab and Muslim nationsThe Hamas attack in southern Israel killed around 1200 people mostly civilians and abducted about 250 About 100 hostages remain in Gaza along with the bodies of around 30 moreOver 36430 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israels offensive according to Gazas Health Ministry Israel blames Hamas for civilian deathsAt least five people including a young girl were killed on Sunday in a strike on a street in Zawayda central Gaza according to Palestinian health officials and AP journalists at alAqsa Martyrs hospital who counted the bodiesThe US continued to press Israel on the ceasefire proposal outlined by Biden who said on Friday its time for the war to end Many of Gazas 23 million people have been displaced and shelter with few supplies large parts of the territory have been destroyed and the United Nations has warned of fullblown famineThe deals first phase would last six weeks and include a full and complete ceasefire a withdrawal of Israeli forces from all densely populated areas of Gaza and the release of a number of hostages including women older people and the wounded in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners Biden acknowledged that moving into the next phase of the deal would require more negotiationsThis was an Israeli proposal We have every expectation that if Hamas agrees to the proposal as was transmitted to them an Israeli proposal then Israel would say yes White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby told ABCAlso Sunday officials from Egypt Israel and the US ended a meeting in Cairo without any apparent agreement to reopen the crucial Rafah crossing into Gaza which has been closed since Israel took over the Palestinian side of it in early May Egypts staterun television channel AlQahera News reportedIsraels military continues to press into Rafah Gazas southernmost city in search of whats been described as Hamas last stronghold even as the militants regroup elsewhere in the territoryCiting an unnamed official AlQahera News said Egypt affirmed that Israel must withdraw its forces from the Palestinian side of the crossing before it can reopen The report said Egypt accused Israel of blocking the delivery of badly needed humanitarian aid to Gaza which Israel deniesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever