War cabinet said to discuss post-war Gaza governance as pressure mounts to present plan

The issue of how Gaza will be governed once Israel’s war with Hamas reaches an end is scheduled to be discussed by Israel’s war cabinet this evening in more detail than it has been in some time, Channel 12 reports, although Channel 13 alleges that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blocked the discussion from taking place.

According to Channel 12, the pressure on Israel to create an alternative to Hamas in the Gaza Strip is mounting, both from the outside and from within Israel’s political echelon, which is why the war cabinet is expected to discuss the issue.

A contradictory report from Channel 13, however, alleges that Netanyahu failed to respond to an appeal from war cabinet Minister Benny Gantz to discuss the issue of post-war Gaza, and so the issue has been pushed off again.

Earlier today, Gantz called for Israel to work with the US and other regional allies to build a plan for the day after the war in Gaza, saying that “the regional coalition led by the United States that has proven itself against Iran, must be part of our action plan for a strategic reversal in the Middle East, and part of the day after in the Gaza Strip.”

The war cabinet is also attempting to find new angles from which negotiating parties can approach hostage deal talks after Hamas rejected all previous offers, Channel 12 reports, adding that the meeting is the first time the war cabinet has convened to discuss the hostages in almost two weeks.

The discussion also focused on the impact that the continuation of fighting will likely have on the success of any efforts to reach a deal with Hamas for the hostages’ release.