Israeli writer and analyst Yoni Ben Menachem has disclosed plans by President Joe Biden's administration to train a force of about 5,000 Palestinian security personnel to be deployed throughout the Gaza Strip. The aim is to maintain order after what he refers to as "the day after the war."
In an article published on the Israeli website "Epoch," entitled "The Path to Disarmament in the Gaza Strip and Establishing a Buffer Zone," Ben Menachem stressed that Israel must soon begin the process of disarming Gaza. He confirmed that the process has already started unofficially while fighting continues in the southern part of the strip.
He detailed that in areas occupied by the Israeli military in the northern sector, engineering units have begun the destruction of wells and tunnels. To date, 1,500 wells and dozens of kilometers of tunnels have been destroyed. However, the mission is arduous and lengthy.
Ben Menachem explained that the full extent of these tunnels had not yet been discovered when the Israeli military operations in Gaza began. He estimated there could be between 500 to 1,000 kilometers of tunnels built by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) over the past 15 years, right under the watch of Israeli intelligence.
The writer emphasized that disarming Gaza should be an integral part of the post-war scenario and should preempt any other rule in the Gaza Strip in place of Hamas's governance.
He stated that Israel would prevent the return of Palestinian residents who were evacuated from northern Gaza to areas with tunnels, as long as they were not completely destroyed by the Israeli military. This precaution is in the interest of the residents themselves, who seek tranquility. The existence of such tunnels could lead to Hamas fighters hiding again and resuming attacks on Israeli forces.
Ben Menachem mentioned that Israel should treat the sector as "Area B," as it does in the West Bank, where it maintains full security control and can access the area immediately based on intelligence information.
Additionally, Israel should establish a buffer zone, two kilometers deep, along the borders with the sector, complete with minefields and early warning systems to "prevent terrorists from entering its territory." This zone is to be designated as a "kill zone," where anyone entering it should know they risk being killed by Israeli military fire.
Parallel to these developments, the Biden administration plans to train a special force of about 5,000 Palestinian security personnel associated with the Palestinian Authority to undergo anti-terrorism training in Egypt and Jordan. After the Israeli military withdraws from the sector, they are expected to be deployed throughout Gaza to enforce security.
According to the American plan, these forces are to cooperate with the Israeli military, the United States, and what he described as moderate Arab countries, similar to the security force established by American General Keith Dayton in the West Bank in 2005 following the election of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
The article also reports that before Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, the Palestinian Authority paid salaries to 19,000 Palestinian security personnel in the sector affiliated with the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah). It could be feasible to recruit a significant portion of them again, as Biden is not focused on ending the war in Gaza before reaching an agreement on a body to manage the sector that does not harm Israeli security.
Israel is also looking for an effective method to prevent weapon smuggling from Egypt into the Gaza Strip. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant suggested to U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin that the United States fund the construction of an underground barrier on the Egyptian side of the border in the Rafah area. However, Egyptian security sources opposed the idea, claiming that Egypt has taken many steps to destroy all such tunnels and methods have been taken to ensure this, indicating that such suggestions were directed at the Israeli public for political reasons.
Given Egyptian opposition, Israel would have no other option but to forcibly control the "Philadelphia Corridor" on the Palestinian side in Rafah to prevent weapons smuggling into Gaza.
Ben Menachem anticipates chaos in governance and security in Gaza for the coming year, as no agreement has yet been reached on a new governing mechanism. Hamas, which has not been defeated, poses a threat to local elements such as tribal leaders and Fatah activists from integrating into the new government. He expects challenges from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and the United States.
In conclusion, Ben Menachem predicts that security chaos will prevail in the Gaza Strip next year, preferring the Israeli military not to be part of it. After Hamas is overthrown, there would be a need to establish reasonable defensive lines and create a buffer zone along the Gaza borders to prevent what he called terrorist attacks on Israel.
