Five people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday that the United States and Israel discussed the possibility of Washington leading an interim administration in Gaza after the war. The sources said that the "high-level" consultations focused on forming a transitional government headed by a US official, which would oversee Gaza until the territory is demilitarized and stable, and a functioning Palestinian administration emerges.

The five sources said the discussions, which are still preliminary, indicate there would be no set timetable for the duration of such a US-led administration, as it would depend on the situation on the ground. The sources likened the proposal to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, which Washington established in 2003, shortly after the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the talks publicly.

Many Iraqis viewed the authority as an occupying force, and it transferred power to an interim Iraqi government in 2004 after failing to contain a growing insurgency. The sources added that other countries would be invited to participate in the US-led authority in Gaza, without specifying which ones. They said the administration would employ Palestinian technocrats, but would exclude the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and the Palestinian Authority. The sources said it was not yet clear whether an agreement could be reached. They added that discussions had not made progress on determining who would assume key roles.

The sources did not identify the party that made the proposal, nor did they provide further details about the talks. Asked by Reuters whether there were discussions with Israel regarding a US-led interim authority in Gaza, a US State Department spokesperson did not comment directly, saying he could not speak about ongoing negotiations. "We want peace and the immediate release of the hostages," the spokesperson added, adding, "The pillars of our approach remain steadfast: to stand with Israel and to defend peace."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office declined to comment. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar had previously expressed in a television interview his belief that there would be a "transitional period" after the end of the war on Gaza, during which the Strip would be overseen by an international body comprising "moderate Arab countries," with the Palestinians operating under its supervision. He added, "We do not seek to control the civilian life of the residents of Gaza. Our only interest in the Gaza Strip is security," without naming the countries he believed would participate. The Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Two sources also stated that a US-led interim authority in Gaza would draw Washington further into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and represent its largest intervention in the Middle East since the invasion of Iraq. They noted that such a move would carry significant risks, including a strong backlash from both its allies and adversaries in the Middle East if Washington were perceived as an occupying force in Gaza.

The UAE, which established diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020, proposed to the United States and Israel the formation of an international coalition to oversee the administration of Gaza after the war. Abu Dhabi linked its participation to the inclusion of the Palestinian Authority and the establishment of a credible path toward establishing a Palestinian state. The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to questions about whether it would support a US-led administration that does not include the Palestinian Authority.

Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel would expand its attacks on Gaza, while transferring more of its residents "for their own safety." Some members of Netanyahu's right-wing coalition have publicly called for the displacement of Gaza's population through what they describe as a "voluntary" mass migration of Palestinians and for the rebuilding of Jewish settlements inside the coastal enclave. But behind closed doors, some Israeli officials are also considering proposals for Gaza's future, according to Reuters, which sources say assume no mass exodus of Palestinians from the territory, such as the proposal by the US-led interim administration.

Four sources, including foreign diplomats and former Israeli officials familiar with the matter, reported that these proposals include restricting reconstruction to specific security zones, dividing the Strip, and establishing permanent military bases.