As efforts for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip falter, reports indicate that the Israeli army is preparing to carry out a redeployment operation in the territory as part of the third phase of the war, which has been ongoing for over 80 days. Israeli reports state that the army is getting ready to establish a buffer zone west of the barrier between the Gaza Strip and Israel. Tel Aviv will rely entirely on regular forces after discharging reserve soldiers.
This shift comes as Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer arrived in Washington on Tuesday for meetings at the White House and the State Department regarding Israel's plans for the next phase of the war. A senior U.S. official stated that the main issue for discussion between President Joe Biden's administration and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is "how to conclude matters and within what timeframe." An Israeli official confirmed that Dermer will discuss Israel's plans for a low-intensity phase of the war, which Israeli officials expect to commence by the end of January, and how to manage civil affairs in Gaza during the long upcoming transitional phase.
Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi announced that the war "will continue for several more months," adding after inspecting soldiers in the territory that "achieving the goals of the war is not easy." While Israel and the United States are arranging for the period after January, Israeli forces continued their incursion deeply into areas in northern and southern Gaza, giving the impression they are close to the whereabouts of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza.
Additionally, the Palestinian Authority rejected information circulated as an Egyptian plan to end the war in Gaza. The PLO stated that the executive committee "discussed what was published in the media regarding a proposal that talks about three phases, including the establishment of a Palestinian government to manage the West Bank and Gaza, independent of the PLO's framework as the sole legitimate representative, and thus the executive committee decided to reject it."
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed Dutch diplomat and politician Sigrid Kaag as the Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza under Security Council Resolution 2720. In this role, Kaag will oversee, coordinate, and monitor humanitarian relief shipments to the territory and verify them. Her mission is expected to begin on January 8, 2024.
