PMO reportedly weighing likely dead-on-arrival post-war plan for Israel-Arab alliance to manage Gaza

Officials in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office are weighing a likely dead-on-arrival plan for post-war Gaza that would see Israel share oversight of the Strip with an alliance of Arab countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, The New York Times reports.

The vague plan is likely to be rejected by Israel’s envisioned Arab partners as it doesn’t include an explicit pathway to a Palestinian state. It is also likely to be snubbed by Netanyahu’s far-right partners because it doesn’t explicitly rule out the Palestinian Authority’s return to Gaza or the eventual establishment of a Palestinian state.

“Under the proposal, the Arab-Israeli alliance, working with the United States, would appoint Gazan leaders to redevelop the devastated territory, overhaul its education system and maintain order. After between seven and 10 years, the alliance would allow Gazans to vote on whether to be absorbed into a united Palestinian administration that would govern in both Gaza and the West Bank, according to the proposal. In the meantime, the plan suggests, the Israeli military could continue to operate inside Gaza,” NYT reports. “The proposal does not explicitly say whether that united administration would constitute a sovereign Palestinian state, or if it would include the Palestinian Authority.”

The plan was crafted in November by a group of unnamed businessmen, some of whom are close to Netanyahu, the report says. It has been shown to former British prime minister Tony Blair, who is in contact with senior Saudi officials. A Palestinian businessman has also been involved in promoting the idea to US officials.