Welcome to the latest edition of The Daily 202! Don’t forget to tell your friends to subscribe here. The ongoing crisis at Gaza’s two largest hospitals continued to escalate on Monday amid a conflict between Israel’s military and Hamas fighters. Israel alleges that the militants are taking refuge in buildings that are intended for humanitarian purposes.
Biden and Netanyahu are currently in dispute over the conclusion of the Gaza conflict. The extent of the clash between President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on who should control the Gaza Strip once Hamas is ousted, if at all, hinges on how diplomatic terms like “right now” and “revitalized” are interpreted.
At first glance, it appears that the two leaders publicly disagree on who should have control over Gaza in a post-Hamas era. Biden has restarted the U.S. drive for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. He and his advisors envision a future where the Palestinian Authority (PA), which currently oversees the West Bank, would also be in charge of Gaza.
“On the U.S. side, Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State, recently stated that “What would make the most sense would be for an effective and revitalized Palestinian Authority to have governance and ultimately security responsibility for Gaza.”
The current forms of the Palestinian Authority are not reported to be in a troubling state to take over that oppressed region. According to Netanyahu, “The IDF and the state of Israel will maintain total security control over [Gaza] and have the ability to enter when they wish to eliminate terrorists who may re-emerge.”
Netanyahu completely opposed a resolution granting the Palestinians true sovereignty under what is known as a “two-state solution.” He also criticized the Palestinian Authority sharply. He stated that the only force that could guarantee that Hamas or terrorism should not reappear and take over Gaza is the Israeli military.
Blinken and other members of the Biden team have been very frank about their opposition to a long-term Israeli presence in Gaza. The permanent peace they have in view is one where there is governed by the Palestinians, and Gaza is unified with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority.
It might seem excessively premature to discuss a theoretical post-Hamas state of affairs in Gaza since rockets that are fired by the group designated as a terrorist organization in both the United States and Europe still continue to rain down on Israel as well as Israeli retaliation on Gaza. Nonetheless, the Biden administration has demonstrated reasonable sensitivity about Arab leaders’ mistrust of Israel’s intentions. It’s not clear whether Biden’s public calls for a two-state solution will serve as a counterbalance to the strong support for Israel’s campaign, even with his repeated notes of caution against overstepping into unnecessary force.
At the moment, it looks like Netanyahu’s Israel is ready to accept no other Palestinian force, including the Palestinian Authority, as being capable of demilitarizing and de-radicalizing Gaza.
On another front, Ambassador Jake Sullivan has further recommitted the U.S. to the unity between the West Bank and Gaza under Palestinian leadership. However, Sullivan also emphasized that it would be the Palestinian people who would ultimately decide their future and the government leading them.
