Israel has got to move on to the next level in the Gaza arena and strive decisively to obtain the war’s objectives, namely: collapsing Hamas’ military and governmental capabilities, targeting its leaders, bringing back all the hostages and ushering in the conditions for the “Day After” in Gaza.
The high-intensity phase of the war is progressing toward the long-term “clearing” phase. However, part of Hamas’ combating force, alongside that of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and other terrorist groups, is still functioning, and vast areas in central Gaza have yet to be conquered.
Subsequently, by imposing an immediate provisional Israeli administration in the areas conquered in the coastal enclave, Israel must focus its efforts on the remaining territory and outline a clear plan for the long-term eradication of terrorism. These recommendations have been distributed by the IDSF to all Cabinet ministers and members of the Knesset.
In the next three months, operationally, the targeted effort will be specified by the military, in consultation with the political echelon, and will in particular complete the takeover of Rafah. Israel is not going to be able to accept a comprehensive deal that includes stopping the war and withdrawing its forces, or which will impose a long-term lull in the fighting.
We look to the speedy release of live hostages in exchange for humanitarian easements. Israel keeps an open door to the possibility of a hostage swap, even at the cost of a brief, temporary withholding of fire. The intelligence and combat effort to find and rescue hostages has got to continue.
Provisional Israeli adminstration to set foundation for future local civilian forces
There is no practical possibility for re-disengagement from the Gaza Strip. A provisional Israeli administration will prepare the groundwork for future local civilian Palestinian forces. To this end, Israel’s top priority will include the de-radicalization of the education system, which will ideally include non-UN regional and international players. This means cessation of the indoctrination of terrorism, antisemitism, Zionism-hating and armed struggle against Israel.
The focus will be on professional education. This will also mean the removal of UNRWA from Gaza and distribution of humanitarian aid directly by the IDF or by whichever organizations it will certify for this purpose. It will also include the option for Gazan Palestinians to voluntarily emigrate to countries willing to admit them.
Israeli unity and national cohesion paramount for rehabilitation
International pressure on Israel to work toward a cease-fire and to establish a Palestinian state is totally divorced from the Middle Eastern reality. Rewarding terrorism in the form of a Palestinian state will substantially undermine Israeli security.
The Israel Defense and Security Forum considers unity and national cohesion to be an overriding national imperative as a key factor in achieving victory in this war. This is also a fundamental condition for harnessing the public and the state organs in favor of achieving the objectives of this war. The Israel Defense and Security Forum considers spirit to be an overriding national imperative as a key factor in achieving victory in this war.
Israel must immediately impose a provisional Israeli administration throughout the Gaza Strip, particularly in areas that have already been occupied and cleared by the IDF. In the absence of such a mechanism, there will be a vacuum left behind on the ground, which will be exploited by Hamas. This will constitute a severe psychological blow to Israel, and detrimental to our advocacy efforts with the international community.
Hamas military capabilities and linked organizations must be eliminated
After almost ten months of war in the Gaza Strip, three kinds of zones have taken shape there, where each one functions differently from the civilian perspective: administration by Hamas or by its proxies; local administration; and pockets of chaos.
The war has proven that the degradation of Hamas’ military centers of power has also resulted in gradual degradation of the civilian systems that relied on it, and that Hamas’ strength was due, inter alia, to its control over the aid arriving in Gaza. This means that the elimination of Hamas’ civilian rule over Gaza requires the elimination of its military capabilities and taking over the territory for a while, while at the same time assigning responsibility for distributing the aid to those international organizations that have no link to Hamas.
Israeli military presence will remain to maintain order
Israel must maintain a full-scale military presence in the Gaza Strip, similar to the situation in the A and B areas in the West Bank, in order to continue clearing the area of Hamas pockets of resistance and to prevent the regeneration of terrorism.
Amir AviviPhoto: DANIEL 'STRAVOIsrael must continue to maintain a presence along the Netzarim Corridor and the Philadelphi Corridor in order to be in control of the Gaza Strip’s lifelines, to prevent smuggling of weaponry, and to ensure that the Gaza Strip remains demilitarized.
Solutions other than physical Israeli presence on the ground led to Hamas’ force buildup and ushered in the conditions for October 7. Therefore, no technological solutions or international forces should be exclusively relied on as only an Israeli security presence, not any Palestinian entity, prevents terrorism effectively.
Careful engagement with international aid agencies
Local Palestinian communities will run daily life in the local authorities within the Gaza Strip, similar to the way it is done in the West Bank where the Palestinian Authority is in charge of this. The release of international aid money will be conditional upon the repudiation of terrorism and compliance with the dictates and prerequisites as these will be defined by Israel and by international bodies.
The United Nations is not a preferred or desirable player to assist in rehabilitation in view of its problematic record when it comes to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, its anti-Israel bias and the way its systems are harnessed to produce false propaganda.
Brig. Gen. Amir Avivi is the chairman and founder of the Israel Defense and Security Forum - IDSF (Habithonistim)