UAE Ready for Post-War Gaza: Who Collaborates with ‘Israel’ to Occupy Gaza?

The debate over "post-war" Gaza and which party should take control of the Gaza Strip has sparked significant contention within “Israel.”

In addition to the differences of opinion among Palestinian, regional, and international parties awaiting the defeat of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's behavior makes it abundantly clear that he has no interest in discussing or resolving the issue of the day after Gaza. His lack of concern stems from his unwillingness to end the war due to internal political reasons.

Netanyahu's Blackmail

The far-right forces participating in the ruling coalition, particularly the Jewish Power party led by Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir and the Religious Zionist Party led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, see it as imperative for “Israel” to assert its civilian and military control over Gaza and pave the way for the resumption of settlement projects there.

Leaders of these movements have explicitly and implicitly expressed their belief that the war on the Gaza Strip should lead to the displacement of the largest number of Palestinians there to outside the area. Smotrich and Ben-Gvir vehemently reject any discussion about the future of the Gaza Strip and strongly assert that no Palestinian party should be allowed to govern the territory, threatening to withdraw from Netanyahu's government if their position is not respected.

This precisely makes Benjamin Netanyahu keen on prolonging the war indefinitely to avoid delving into the issue of Gaza's future.

The Israeli PM understands that if the Jewish Power and Religious Zionist Party parties withdraw from his coalition, it will collapse, putting him face to face with accountability due to his failure to thwart Operation al-Aqsa Flood.

Further, the collapse of his government and his exit from power would create a political environment that would accelerate his trial in serious corruption cases, trials that could result in a long prison sentence for him.

It is evident that Netanyahu enjoys significant support from the Israeli public to continue the war on the sector, and most leaders of the Likud Party, which he leads, also support him.

On the other hand, leaders of the Blue and White Party, led by Member of the War Council Minister, believe it is necessary to address the issue of the “day after” and provide conditions that allow for a Palestinian, Arab, or international entity to replace Hamas in governing the sector.

According to Gantz's logic, supported by think tanks and most media outlets, if an agreement is not reached now on the party that should take over from Hamas, this will lead to the collapse of the “achievements” that the Israeli Occupation army has achieved so far in its war on the sector.

This requires the Israeli army to resume its invasion of areas in the sector where ground operations have been previously carried out, as happened in the Zeitoun neighborhood and the Jabalia camp recently.

This entails inflicting significant losses on Israeli Occupation soldiers, as occurred during the invasion of the Zeitoun neighborhood east of Gaza City.

What further strengthens the weight of the stance adopted by Gantz is the fact that the leadership of the Israeli Occupation army also adopts it. The Chief of Staff of the Army, Herzi Halevi, insisted on leaking minutes of a recent meeting, in which he strongly criticized Netanyahu's procrastination in discussing or resolving the issue of “the day after” and deciding who should take Hamas's place in governing the sector.

As reported by Hebrew Channel 13, Halevi bluntly warned that “the achievements of the army would go in vain due to the absence of a ready party to take over Hamas's rule in the sector.”

Not only that, but Israeli parties calling for the resolution of the issue of the “day after” and urging the presence of an alternative to Hamas's rule are drawing attention to the fact that military pressure may not achieve the two main goals of the war: eliminating the Hamas movement and dismantling its military and authoritative capabilities, and retrieving the Israeli prisoners held there.

Supporters of this view believe that completely ending Hamas rule is only possible if “Israel” helps create conditions that allow for the emergence of a Palestinian entity capable of governing the territory.

The Palestinian Authority

Gantz demanded on May 18, 2024, the establishment of a European-American-Palestinian civilian administration for the sector, ensuring a successful authority to govern Gaza and the return of citizens in the north.

Gantz's remarks came as a threat to leave the war government unless several clauses, including the determination of “the day after war” on Gaza, are agreed upon by June 8.

In turn, some Israeli elites calling for the resolution of the “day after” issue of the war see the necessity of allowing the Palestinian Authority, led by Mahmoud Abbas, a foothold that qualifies it to govern the Gaza Strip.

Among the proponents of this view is the Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, who is the only one among the Likud ministers to support to a large extent granting the Palestinian Authority an important role in governing the Gaza Strip.

During the aggression, Gallant allowed many elements of the Palestinian Authority's security forces, supervised by the head of the General Intelligence in the Authority, Majed Faraj, to enter the Gaza Strip.

Hamas successfully thwarted this move, as highlighted by Palestinian media outlets.

The Hebrew Channel 14 revealed on March 13, 2024, that Majed Faraj had begun work on building an armed force in the southern Gaza Strip.

It added that Faraj's force, which he is working on, consists of families who do not support Hamas to distribute aid from the south of the Strip to its north.

Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (KAN) stated on February 24, 2024, that the head of the Security Council, Tzachi Hanegbi met with Faraj with the approval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

KAN indicated that Gallant proposed that the head of the Palestinian Authority's intelligence take temporary control of the Gaza Strip after the end of the war.

The agency stated that “Israel” is considering using the head of Palestinian intelligence to build an alternative to Hamas on the day after the war.

The United States has explicitly stated that it supports the return of the Palestinian Authority to govern the Gaza Strip after Hamas.

On the other hand, the Ministry of Interior and elements from resistance factions thwarted several attempts to impose armed militias directed by Palestinian factions loyal to “Israel.”

According to a statement from the Ministry of Interior in Gaza on March 30, 2024, leaders of the “security force” who infiltrated with Egyptian Red Crescent trucks through the Rafah border crossing in the southern Strip, were arrested.

The force members were associated with the Fatah National Liberation Movement, as well as members of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.

It clarified that “Israel” coordinated with Majed Faraj regarding this. The arrested elements admitted that their movements and tasks were all coordinated with the Israeli Occupation.

Further, a security official at the Ministry of Interior in Gaza revealed on April 5, 2024, the results of the investigation with the leaders of a security force formed by Major General Majed Faraj, who infiltrated into the Gaza Strip through aid trucks belonging to the Egyptian Red Crescent and were arrested in the Strip.

The security official stated in media statements that Maj. Gen. Faraj's security plan to manage the situation in Gaza is based on three stages.

The first stage is food security under the cover of the Palestinian Red Crescent, the second targets tribes, and the third is comprehensive security.

He indicated that the plan designated the Red Crescent headquarters at al-Quds Hospital as the headquarters for the security forces under Israeli air protection.

The security official at the Ministry of Interior in Gaza stated that Maj. Gen. Faraj assigned a team of officers from the Palestinian intelligence agency to monitor the plan's implementation.

He also assigned members of the force to gather information from al-Shifa Medical Complex for Maj. Gen. Faraj two weeks before the last incursion, which resulted in nearly 500 martyrs.

On the other hand, there are those who propose another option, which involves handing over the governance of the Gaza Strip to Mohammed Dahlan, the leader who was expelled from the ranks of Fatah and enjoys direct and strong support from the UAE.

Some indications suggest efforts in this regard, as reflected in the massive humanitarian aid provided by the UAE to the Gaza Strip, distributed through Dahlan's cronies.

Despite Dahlan's keenness to play a role in managing the governance of the Gaza Strip, he cannot take such a step without a political framework and within a consensus, even if it is preliminary, on resolving the conflict.

However, all scenarios discussing alternatives to Hamas's governance in the Gaza Strip cannot be achieved unless “Israel” inflicts a major blow on the movement.

Officials in Tel Aviv and even in Washington acknowledge that this goal remains far-fetched, if not impossible.

Israeli Rejection

Granting the Palestinian Authority a role in governing the Gaza Strip faces a major obstacle, as even Israeli parties enthusiastic about its role refuse to pay the required price.

The Palestinian Authority, whether represented by Majed Faraj's forces or through the coordination officer with “Israel,” Hussein al-Sheikh, cannot return to governing the Strip without this step being within the framework of recognizing the Palestinians' right to establish a state comprising the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Likewise, without the return of the authority within a political solution framework, Palestinians would view it as arriving on the back of the Israeli Occupation tanks that destroyed Gaza, leading to further deterioration and collapse of its internal standing.

Egypt, under the rule of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, seems very concerned about the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza.

This is estimated to ensure Egypt the non-return of Hamas, which the Sisi regime is highly sensitive to its governance, as it emerged from the Muslim Brotherhood.

However, in “Israel,” there is no serious party that would agree to embark on a political track to resolve the conflict, where talks about establishing a Palestinian state resurface.

President Joe Biden's administration, on its part, is attempting to offer incentives to Benjamin Netanyahu to persuade him to agree to the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza within the framework of conflict resolution by hinting at the normalization card with Saudi Arabia.

According to this American logic, the Israeli Occupation’s permission for the Authority's return, theoretically only, as part of its agreement to conflict resolution, will prompt Saudi Arabia and Gulf states to provide the political and economic cover that ensures the Authority's firm control over Gaza and the elimination of Hamas's rule once and for all.

However, Netanyahu still refuses to trade the return of the Authority to Gaza for normalization with Saudi Arabia because he is concerned about clinging to his current government.

It gives him a lifeline from investigations into the failure to confront Operation al-Aqsa Flood and subsequent corruption trials.

Netanyahu occasionally leaks that he has a plan for the day after the war on Gaza based on the presence of international and Arab forces in Gaza, specifically from Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

However, these countries have hastened to deny their readiness to participate in a role in Gaza without it being linked to the return of the Authority and within the framework of a political solution to the conflict.

On May 11, 2024, Abu Dhabi condemned statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which he said that it is possible for the UAE to assist a future government in Gaza after the war.

In a post on X, UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan strongly criticized Netanyahu, stating that Abu Dhabi condemns the statements of the Israeli Prime Minister.

The UAE stresses that the Israeli Prime Minister does not have any legitimate capacity to take this step, and the state refuses to be drawn into any plan that aims to provide cover for Israeli presence in Gaza.

"When a Palestinian government is formed that meets the hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people for integrity, efficiency, and independence, the state will be fully prepared to provide all forms of support to that government."

The UAE is one of the few Arab countries with official diplomatic relations with “Israel,” which it has maintained during the ongoing aggression on Gaza since October 7.

Netanyahu said in an interview that the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and other countries can help a civilian government with Gaza residents after the war.

These statements come at a time when prominent members of the Israeli government reject the idea of an independent Palestinian state, while Netanyahu says that “Israel” needs to continue its security control over Gaza after the war.