The Israeli newspaper Maariv reviewed Israel's options for the day after the war in the Gaza Strip, and concluded that - regardless of the controversy surrounding who will manage the Strip - any alternative to the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) does not seem realistic, as it has sovereignty and rule.

In its article, the newspaper began by comparing the situation in Gaza with the West Bank, and explained that years after the Israeli invasion of the West Bank in 2002, the Israeli army is still waging ongoing battles with the Palestinians there.

But the big difference - according to the article - is that the military cells in the Palestinian Authority areas are not the party that controls security and civil affairs, nor the “lions’ den,” nor even any other organization responsible for the daily life of the population.

She added that, unlike Palestinian cities and villages in the West Bank, the synergy between the military and civilian sides of Hamas in Gaza not only did not disappear, but was also not damaged, neither during the air aggression phase nor even after the ground operation.

The newspaper referred to the issue of distributing aid in Gaza, which the Israeli government has repeatedly discussed but has not reached any results, as Israel does not want Hamas to undertake the distribution of aid, and at the same time it has no alternative.

The newspaper explained that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not have any answer or plan for a civilian alternative for the residents of the Gaza Strip, and as was the case 6 months ago, “Netanyahu knows only today that he does not want the Palestinian Authority to be in Gaza, because this means embarking on the path.” Which leads directly to a political process based on the two-state solution.”

She pointed out that "no force, body or state will agree to set foot in Gaza, neither physically nor with a commitment on paper, as long as Hamas remains in the field, alive, sovereign and active and distributing food to the tents of the displaced."

There is no alternative to Hamas

The newspaper continued to describe the confusion in which Israel stands regarding the next day’s plan, and said, “There is no better way to describe the current situation than the term ‘dead end’. Hamas controls Gaza, because there is no alternative.”

The newspaper quoted a senior officer in the occupation army - which it did not name - as saying in one of the closed hearings of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in the Knesset, “Elections will be held in Israel before Benjamin Netanyahu, as prime minister, must present to the public an alternative to controlling Gaza.”

The newspaper commented on this, saying, “Admit the truth and say out loud that there is no realistic alternative, and it seems that Hamas will remain in Gaza and in our reality.”

It also considered that even if Netanyahu loudly announced that he was withdrawing his opposition to the Palestinian Authority as part of the alternative solution to Gaza, this announcement would not change reality.

The newspaper concluded by saying that Hamas leaders are pinning their hopes on a prisoner exchange deal that will allow them to expel the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip, so that the movement will have sovereignty and rule, as it was before the war began.

Source: Maariv + Al Jazeera