{"id":16602,"date":"2024-03-07T12:48:46","date_gmt":"2024-03-07T12:48:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/07\/the-day-after-a-plan-for-gaza\/"},"modified":"2024-03-07T12:48:46","modified_gmt":"2024-03-07T12:48:46","slug":"the-day-after-a-plan-for-gaza","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/07\/the-day-after-a-plan-for-gaza\/","title":{"rendered":"The day after: A plan for Gaza"},"content":{"rendered":"
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What is next\u00a0for\u00a0Gaza? With or without\u00a0a\u00a0hostage deal,\u00a0the\u00a0best hope\u00a0for\u00a0peace depends on continuing\u00a0along\u00a0the\u00a0path endorsed by President Biden\u00a0after\u00a0Hamas\u2019s Oct. 7\u00a0attack: destroy Hamas\u2019s military\u00a0and governance capabilities, prevent its\u00a0ability to threaten Israel\u00a0again,\u00a0and deal\u00a0a\u00a0defeat to Iran\u2019s \u2018axis of resistance.\u2019<\/p>\n

Such hopes won\u2019t be realized by military means\u00a0alone. As evidenced by the February 29 aid convoy stampede that saw scores of desperate Palestinians die, what\u2019s required is a simultaneous effort to address Gaza\u2019s humanitarian crisis and vacuum of order arising in the war\u2019s wake. Left unattended, a descent into anarchy will worsen Gazan despair, deepen Israel\u2019s isolation, and benefit Iran and Hamas.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After\u00a0multiple trips to\u00a0the\u00a0Middle East\u00a0and nearly 100 expert interviews,\u00a0we\u00a0and\u00a0a\u00a0group of\u00a0former national security officials\u00a0who worked\u00a0for\u00a0presidents of both parties believe\u00a0the\u00a0most realistic option is to create\u00a0a\u00a0private International Trust\u00a0for\u00a0Gaza\u00a0Relief\u00a0and Reconstruction.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Trust would be established\u00a0as\u00a0an independent entity dedicated to building\u00a0a\u00a0peaceful post-Hamas\u00a0Gaza. In effect, it would\u00a0act\u00a0as\u00a0a\u00a0super-NGO. This mechanism would offer key states, particularly in\u00a0the\u00a0Arab world,\u00a0a\u00a0less politically-charged means of immediately\u00a0aiding\u00a0Gazans without directly putting\u00a0their own prestige, diplomats or\u00a0forces on\u00a0the\u00a0line in\u00a0a\u00a0high-risk environment where Israeli\u00a0forces will remain\u00a0active\u00a0for\u00a0months to come.<\/p>\n

With U.S. participation,\u00a0the\u00a0Trust ideally would be led by friendly\u00a0Arab states like Saudi\u00a0Arabia, Egypt\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0United\u00a0Arab Emirates with\u00a0the\u00a0greatest legitimacy, resources\u00a0and interests to build\u00a0a\u00a0better future\u00a0for\u00a0Gaza.\u00a0The\u00a0Trust would work with\u00a0all those willing to contribute to its mission, including other donor states, partner NGOs\u00a0and international bodies like competent United Nations\u00a0agencies.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Trust\u2019s first priority would be to mobilize large-scale emergency relief, including food, water, medical care\u00a0and rapid construction of prefabricated housing communities that could serve\u00a0as humanitarian islands of stability.<\/p>\n

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These efforts could start in\u00a0areas of northern\u00a0and central\u00a0Gaza\u00a0where Hamas control is\u00a0already unraveling.\u00a0As\u00a0the\u00a0immediate humanitarian crisis is stabilized,\u00a0the\u00a0Trust would help\u00a0Gazans restore essential services, repair critical infrastructure, launch economic reconstruction,\u00a0and generate responsible new leadership\u00a0and police.\u00a0<\/p>\n

These initiatives should include deradicalization programs\u00a0for\u00a0Gaza\u2019s media, schools\u00a0and mosques that draw on\u00a0the\u00a0success of similar efforts in\u00a0the\u00a0Emirates\u00a0and Saudi\u00a0Arabia.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Trust should include\u00a0an\u00a0advisory council of closely vetted local\u00a0Gazans\u00a0as well\u00a0as\u00a0Gazans from\u00a0the\u00a0West Bank\u00a0and diaspora with relevant\u00a0administrative, security\u00a0and professional experience,\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0best knowledge of\u00a0Gazan society.<\/p>\n

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Security will be\u00a0an essential consideration\u00a0for\u00a0protecting\u00a0the\u00a0Trust\u2019s work, including its personnel,\u00a0aid shipments, housing encampments\u00a0and local partners.\u00a0The\u00a0Trust should seek prompt\u00a0assistance from capable national\u00a0forces, preferably from non-regional states with strong ties to Israel,\u00a0as well\u00a0as vetted\u00a0Gazans.<\/p>\n

If such\u00a0forces prove insufficient,\u00a0the\u00a0Trust should consider\u00a0another option: hiring professional security contractors (PSC) with good reputations\u00a0among Western militaries to undertake limited missions like preventing looting of\u00a0aid supplies. Lessons learned from other conflicts have shown that with strict\u00a0accountability regimes in place, PSCs\u00a0are\u00a0able to play valuable\u00a0and effective roles.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ultimately,\u00a0the\u00a0Trust would be\u00a0an interim mechanism, focused on immediate humanitarian\u00a0and governance priorities.\u00a0As\u00a0an\u00a0Arab-led initiative, it would have unique credibility \u2013 both internationally\u00a0and\u00a0among Palestinians \u2013 to build\u00a0a\u00a0better future\u00a0for\u00a0Gaza\u00a0and begin restoring it\u00a0as\u00a0a\u00a0key component in\u00a0an\u00a0agreed-upon political horizon\u00a0for\u00a0Israel-Palestinian peace.<\/p>\n

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The\u00a0Trust has clear\u00a0advantages over\u00a0the\u00a0most-frequently discussed\u00a0alternatives\u00a0for\u00a0Gaza\u2019s \u2018day\u00a0after.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n

Israel is\u00a0a\u00a0non-starter. It lacks\u00a0the\u00a0will, resources\u00a0and\u00a0above\u00a0all legitimacy with\u00a0Gazans to rebuild\u00a0Gaza.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Palestinian\u00a0Authority has enormous trouble running\u00a0the\u00a0West Bank. It has no chance today of effectively\u00a0addressing\u00a0the\u00a0much larger problem of\u00a0Gaza. Its most useful contribution would be blessing\u00a0the\u00a0Trust\u2019s efforts\u00a0and undertaking\u00a0the\u00a0major reforms required to make it\u00a0a\u00a0suitable candidate\u00a0for\u00a0governing\u00a0a\u00a0future Palestinian state.<\/p>\n

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As\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0U.N., what more is\u00a0there to say than \u2018UNRWA\u2019?\u00a0The\u00a0U.N.\u2019s lead\u00a0agency\u00a0for\u00a0assisting Palestinians has been fatally compromised by mounting evidence that Hamas systematically infiltrated its operations in\u00a0Gaza, including employees who participated in\u00a0the\u00a0Oct. 7 massacres.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Friendly\u00a0Arab states\u00a0appear reticent to deploy\u00a0their own national\u00a0forces to\u00a0Gaza\u00a0and rightly so. It would quickly expose\u00a0them to charges of doing Israel\u2019s bidding\u00a0and could\u00a0also lead to disastrous clashes with Israeli troops. Hamas\u00a0and Iran would work hard to exacerbate such frictions, just\u00a0as\u00a0they would if\u00a0Americans were deployed.<\/p>\n

Weighed\u00a0against\u00a0the\u00a0alternatives,\u00a0the\u00a0Trust offers\u00a0a\u00a0more realistic path to\u00a0address\u00a0Gaza\u2019s immediate crisis. It could\u00a0also resurrect\u00a0a\u00a0degree of Israeli cooperation with its\u00a0Arab neighbors that can jumpstart U.S.-led efforts\u00a0for\u00a0creating\u00a0a\u00a0political horizon\u00a0and countering\u00a0the\u00a0growing threat from Iran\u2019s\u00a0axis of resistance.<\/p>\n

Elliott Abrams is\u00a0the\u00a0chairman of\u00a0The\u00a0Vandenberg Coalition\u00a0and\u00a0a\u00a0senior fellow\u00a0at\u00a0the\u00a0Council on\u00a0Foreign Relations. Lewis Libby served in senior positions\u00a0at\u00a0the\u00a0White House, Pentagon,\u00a0and State Department.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0authors are members of\u00a0the\u00a0Gaza\u00a0Futures Task\u00a0Force,\u00a0a\u00a0joint\u00a0project\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0Jewish Institute\u00a0for\u00a0National Security of\u00a0America (JINSA)\u00a0and\u00a0The\u00a0Vandenberg Coalition.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is next\u00a0for\u00a0Gaza? With or without\u00a0a\u00a0hostage deal,\u00a0the\u00a0best hope\u00a0for\u00a0peace depends on continuing\u00a0along\u00a0the\u00a0path endorsed by President Biden\u00a0after\u00a0Hamas\u2019s Oct. 7\u00a0attack: destroy Hamas\u2019s military\u00a0and governance capabilities, prevent its\u00a0ability to threaten Israel\u00a0again,\u00a0and deal\u00a0a\u00a0defeat to Iran\u2019s \u2018axis of resistance.\u2019 Such hopes won\u2019t be realized by military means\u00a0alone. As evidenced by the February 29 aid convoy stampede that saw scores of desperate <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":16603,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-16602","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-politics"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16602","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16602"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16602\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16603"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16602"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16602"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16602"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}