Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented a principles document regarding the policy for the day after the Gaza war to the security cabinet (cabinet). The report mentioned that Netanyahu's document includes allowing Israel to carry out operations throughout the Gaza Strip without a time limit, and it also involves establishing a security zone in the strip adjacent to Israeli towns.
The report indicated that Netanyahu's document states that Israel will maintain the southern closure at the border between Gaza and Egypt, and it also includes a provision to close UNRWA and replace it with other international relief agencies. The Israeli Broadcasting Authority confirmed that the ministers of the security cabinet did not vote in approval of Netanyahu's document.
For its part, Axios reported that Netanyahu also seeks to implement a plan he calls "rooting out extremism" in all religious, educational, and social welfare institutions in the Gaza Strip. According to Axios, the document also stipulates that this plan will be carried out "as much as possible with the participation and assistance of Arab countries that have experience in countering extremism on their territories."
The document emphasizes that the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip will only be possible after the disarmament process is completed and the "de-extremization" process begins, a position Netanyahu has not publicly expressed before. It also states that "reconstruction plans will be executed with funding and leadership from countries deemed acceptable by Israel."
The document does not clearly specify who Netanyahu envisions governing Gaza after the war, but it states that "local elements with administrative experience" will be responsible for civil administration and public order in Gaza.
**Consensus Building**
Axios also quoted a Netanyahu aide stating that the aim of the proposed document is to present principles that would gain as much consensus as possible. He added that consultations within the Israeli cabinet are likely to lead to changes before the document's approval.
On several occasions, Netanyahu has confirmed that he wants "Israeli security control" over Gaza after the war. In previous remarks, he stated, "In the day after the war, Gaza must be demilitarized, and there is only one force that can be responsible for that, which is the Israel Defense Forces."
