Report: IDF advancing pilot program in Gaza City that would see Palestinians not tied to PA or Hamas govern the area

The IDF is advancing plans to establish a local Palestinian governing body to replace Hamas in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, Channel 12 reports without citing any sources.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel wants local Palestinian community leaders who are not affiliated with either Hamas or the Palestinian Authority to take over the governance of Gaza after the war.

Channel 12 says Zeitoun will serve as a pilot program for this effort, adding that IDF officials have already met with a group of unnamed Palestinian community leaders who will be tasked with governing the area.

Analysts have expressed heavy skepticism of this effort, noting the likelihood that any Palestinian community leaders seen openly and unilaterally cooperating with Israel will quickly be delegitimized and possibly find their lives at risk. They point to a similar effort that was advanced by the US after it invaded Iraq two decades ago only to backfire.

While many in the security establishment believe that the PA should be tasked with leading the governmental effort, the IDF is under direction from Netanyahu’s office not to formally draft any plans for post-war governance in Gaza that involve the PA and accordingly have been left with the framework that they’re currently trying to advance in Zeitoun, officials have told The Times of Israel.