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A senior Israeli official suggested Tuesday that Israel may maintain control over the Gaza Strip "for some time" following the war, while rejecting the return of the Palestinian Authority to the enclave.
“There must be an administrative system in Gaza to run daily life. We may stay there for some time,” the unnamed official told Israel's Walla news portal. The official is part of the delegation accompanying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to the United States.
“There is no need to worry about this,” the official added, emphasizing that Israel would oversee the transition of power to an unspecified alternative. “If we're not there in the first phase, we cannot be sure we can transfer power to another party,” he said, without identifying the intended governing body.
According to the official, the future governing system in Gaza will be run by Palestinians — but not by the Palestinian Authority, the Ramallah-based entity recognized internationally as the representative of the Palestinian people.
Israel has claimed that its military campaign in Gaza seeks to dismantle Hamas and remove it from power. However, it has consistently opposed reinstating the Palestinian Authority in the enclave.
Israeli media have reported that Tel Aviv is pushing for a postwar administration composed of Arab and international actors to govern Gaza.
“The main condition [for ending the war] is Hamas’ absence from Gaza. Gaza must be disarmed and its leaders exiled,” the official said. “Another force will take control of the area and prevent the use of weapons,” he added, without providing further details.
Since Israel launched its offensive in Gaza in October 2023, nearly 57,600 Palestinians — most of them women and children — have been killed, according to Palestinian health officials. The Israeli bombardment has flattened neighborhoods, triggered widespread displacement, and led to severe food shortages and disease outbreaks across the enclave.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its actions in the territory.
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