TEL AVIV, Israel. Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to publicly renounce any plans for Israeli governance over Gaza, emphasizing his opposition to Israeli military rule in the Palestinian enclave.
“The ‘day after Hamas,’ will only be achieved with Palestinian entities taking control of Gaza, accompanied by international actors, establishing a governing alternative to Hamas’ rule,” Gallant stated during a news conference at the Kirya, Israel’s military headquarters, on Wednesday.
Gallant called on Netanyahu to decisively declare that Israel will not impose civilian or military control over Gaza and to outline a governing alternative to Hamas. “I call on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make a decision and declare that Israel will not establish civilian control over the Gaza Strip, that Israel will not establish military governance in the Gaza Strip, and that a governing alternative to Hamas in the Gaza Strip will be raised immediately,” he added.
These comments come amid growing concerns over Israel’s long-term strategy in Gaza. The Israeli military recently re-entered northern Gaza, a region it had previously withdrawn from, to combat Hamas militants exploiting a power vacuum. Military officials have expressed concerns that without a clear post-war strategy, similar patterns will repeat across Gaza.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed these concerns, urging Israel to focus on future governance to avoid chaos. “Israel must focus on what the future can and must be,” Blinken said on Wednesday, warning against “anarchy and a vacuum that’s likely to be filled by chaos.”
Gallant has previously opposed Israeli control over post-war Gaza, but his Wednesday remarks were his most direct. “I will not agree to the establishment of Israeli military rule in Gaza. Israel must not establish civilian rule in Gaza,” he asserted, warning that military occupation would result in significant “bloodshed and victims, as well as a heavy economic price.”
In a video statement later that day, Netanyahu responded indirectly, rejecting both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority as future rulers of Gaza. “I’m not willing to replace Hamastan with Fatahstan,” he said, emphasizing that Hamas must be entirely eliminated before any new government can be considered. “As long as Hamas remains in place, no other entity would enter Gaza to administer the civilian aspects, especially not the Palestinian Authority,” Netanyahu stated.
Gallant’s remarks have sparked political controversy in Israel, with right-wing lawmakers condemning his stance and some urging Netanyahu to remove him from his position. However, Minister Benny Gantz, a member of the war cabinet, supported Gallant, stating he was “speaking the truth.”
This public disagreement between Gallant and Netanyahu coincides with U.S. calls for Israel to present a clear post-war plan for Gaza. Blinken reiterated U.S. opposition to both Israeli occupation and Hamas governance, stressing the need for a structured plan. “We do not support and will not support an Israeli occupation. We also of course, do not support Hamas governance in Gaza,” Blinken said in Kyiv, Ukraine. “There needs to be a clear and concrete plan, and we look to Israel to come forward with its ideas,” he concluded.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
