Hamas in Gaza: Is there an alternative? - opinion

Is there a humanitarian and holistic option that would protect Israel from future attacks originating in Gaza? This is the most important security consideration behind proposals to extend Israeli control of and sovereignty in Gaza.

With a new regime in Syria, what happens in Gaza is a vital concern throughout the region. We need to think realistically, practically, and very carefully. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s recent proposal for applying Israeli sovereignty to Gaza has broken a taboo and given legitimacy and relevance to a critical, albeit controversial, idea. Although not government policy, it could be used to extend Israel’s sovereignty to consensus areas, such as Gush Etzion, Maale Adumim, Shilo, Ofra, Bet El, Hebron, the Jordan Valley, etc.

Israeli control of Gaza is critical for its security and the future of the entire region. Allowing Israel’s enemies to resume their control of the area – directly and indirectly, actively and passively – cannot be the basis for its future after the war.

Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and other terrorist organizations turned Gaza into a vast underground system for hiding weapons, moving terrorists, and attacking Israel. Except for tribal clans in Gaza, the population overwhelmingly supports Hamas.

Instead of repeating mistakes and trying to reconstruct Gaza under a different anti-Israel regime, it can become a new regional transportation and communications center under Israeli control that will benefit others as well. The tunnels that Hamas built, for example, can be used to provide a creative future for Israel and serve to promote peace. Israelis can be allowed to return to Gaza and rebuild what was destroyed in the “Disengagement” – the expulsion of Jews in 2006.

UNRWA

UNRWA’s “refugee camps” in Gaza, and, wherever possible, in Judea/Samaria, must be destroyed and their inhabitants relocated. This will help to end support for terrorism instead of perpetuating and encouraging it. The groundwork for this has been established with the law requiring UNRWA to end its operations in Israel. UNRWA is part of the problem, not its solution. The delusion of a “two-state solution” – an independent Palestinian state dedicated to Israel’s destruction –  must end, once and forever.     

After placing the Gaza area under Israeli sovereignty, Israel can expand the tunnels to accommodate a light rail – similar to what exists in other urban centers – that will be linked to Israel’s transportation system, especially its airports, and eventually, extend to other countries as well.

On the surface, the Gaza enclave can be rebuilt and replaced with a productive infrastructure that will benefit all the residents of the region. It will include new housing and agricultural development, as well as commercial enterprises and industrial use that incorporate ecological innovations and concerns.

Under no conditions should the Gaza region be given to those who oppose Israel’s existence. Arab Gazans who have no connection to any terrorist organization and wish to remain in the area can be allowed to do so, providing that they are willing to support Israel and Israeli sovereignty.

Those who choose to support terrorism and terrorist organizations will be required to leave and relocate. Israel is under no obligation to allow any threats to its security. Nor are Gazans entitled to pose a threat simply because they consider Gaza to be their “homeland.”

Under no conditions should Gaza be considered part of a Palestinian state, under the Palestinian Authority or any terrorist entity.

Israeli communities, towns, and cities that were attacked on October 7 can be given land in Gaza and extended to the shores of the Mediterranean.

Eventually, hopefully, the tunnels in Gaza will be extended to tunnels in the Sinai desert built by Egyptians and those in Jordan and the Jordan Valley – currently used by smugglers – and will be used to accommodate a light rail instead.

This will obviously require a multinational agreement on how it will operate and how it can be integrated into a regional system. The system itself may even become an entity of a local multinational authority, such as the Abraham Accords.

Gaza, in this perspective, can become a “Singapore of the Middle East” – contributing to the economic, commercial, and human development of the region – and an international center that promotes cooperation and peace.

The writer is a PhD historian, writer, and journalist.