Israelis look to Trump amid debate over Gaza future: ‘will make things possible that weren’t possible before’

As Israel nears the end of its military operations in Gaza, the question of what will happen after the war becomes increasingly urgent. With nearly 1.9 million people displaced inside Gaza, the international community is watching closely Israel is preparing for the post-conflict phase.

“There is no magic solution,” a security official told Fox News Digital, “but one thing everyone agrees on: the future of Gaza will depend on the policies of the new Trump administration.”

“We’re waiting to see what his temperament will be,” said another security official, referring to Trump. “You cannot undermine the ‘Trump effect,'” said former Israeli military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin, “He will enable things that were not possible before, increase the pressure on Hamas.”

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Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, recently outlined his vision for the future of Gaza. In a statement that sparked intense debate, Katz said. “After we defeat Hamas army and political power in Gaza, Israel will retain full security control, just as it does in the West Bank. We will not allow any terrorist regrouping or attacks on Israeli citizens from Gaza.”

Katz’s comments point to a future in which Israel retains security control but with new governance structures in Gaza. A proposal circulating in the media suggested that Egypt and the Palestinian Authority were discussing the creation of a “technocratic” body to oversee Gaza’s infrastructure, humanitarian aid and reconstruction. The body would consist of 12 to 15 Palestinian figures and would be independent of Hamas control, potentially signaling a shift in power dynamics in Gaza.

Officials in Jerusalem stressed that Israel would maintain security control without re-establishing former settlements in Gaza. “We will go in whenever we want and conduct military operations to fight terrorism,” an Israeli security official told Fox News Digital. There is also a desire to involve Arab countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt in the reconstruction of Gaza.

However, senior IDF officials warn that without a clear strategic plan for the post-conflict period, the gains of the military campaign could be undone. A senior IDF official explained that the cycle of conflict will continue without an alternative to Hamas. “Unless Israel establishes a plan for the day after and creates an alternative to Hamas, the terrorist group will rebuild and remain in power. It’s a never-ending cycle,” he told Fox News Digital.

Some Israeli officials believe the lack of a coherent strategy is related to the uncertainty surrounding US policy under the incoming administration. “The day after is still a long way off,” one official said. “Until recently, we were dealing with Lebanon, we are dealing with it with Iran and the Houthis, everything that is happening in Syria. . . rebuilding Gaza was not a top priority. Certainly, the war will not end until the hostages are freed and Hamas is completely defeated. And we’re all waiting to see how the new Trump administration wants to handle the situation.”

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Several plans for the future of Gaza have been proposed, with differing visions of how Israel should proceed.

Retired Major General Giora Eiland, former head of Israel’s National Security Council, advocated a more militaristic approach. His “master plan” calls for the evacuation of the population of northern Gaza, followed by the encirclement and siege of the northern Gaza region. By cutting off water, fuel and food supplies, Eiland believes Hamas will be forced to submit and hostages could be freed.

In the long term, Eiland envisions Israel controlling parts of Gaza, but only militarily – with no entry of Israeli citizens and no settlements on the ground. Eiland told Fox News Digital: “If we have control over northern Gaza and Hamas is no longer in power, then we can begin the process of rebuilding Gaza with international cooperation.”

While such an approach could weaken Hamas, critics warn that it could worsen the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza. One senior security official told Fox News Digital: “If we continue like this, we risk an endless cycle of violence. It is critical to have a strategic endgame that includes dismantling Hamas, but also taking into account international law.”

Eiland argues that his strategy complies with international law and could force Hamas to negotiate. “When I was preparing this plan, I read the manual issued by the US Department of Defense. One thousand two hundred pages of explanation of what the US doctrine is with regard to the implementation of international humanitarian law. And according to this manual, everything that I propose so far is expressly written in this manual, Eiland added, “Hamas only cares about two things: humiliation and losing the country. If we can get them to lose control of the country, they will be under real pressure.”

In contrast, Major General (res.) Amos Yadlin supports a diplomatic solution. “We proposed a mechanism of Palestinian technocrats who have ties to the Palestinian Authority symbolically but not practically. These technocrats would be mentored by Arab groups such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan and Morocco.”

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Yadlin, who is the executive director of the Israeli think tank Mind Israel, predicts that the future of Gaza will be shaped by the Arab states. He said they have the necessary leverage to stabilize Gaza, after Israel dismantled Hamas’s military infrastructure. “No one is going to rebuild Gaza while Hamas remains in control,” Yadlin told Fox News Digital. “Hamas can be a political party, based on accepting the terms of the 2017 Quartet: recognizing Israel and condemning terror,” he said.

One issue on which Yadlin is more pragmatic, which is a red line for the current Israeli government, is the role Palestinian Authority (PA) in Gaza. Israeli officials have made it clear that the PA will not be involved in the post-Hamas governance of Gaza. “Neither scenario involves the Palestinian Authority,” one official said. “We see his incompetence in the West Bank and we don’t want to bring that ability to Gaza.”

This exclusion of the PA raises questions about the future governance of Gaza and the potential for political stability. While Israel favors a technocratic approach, it remains uncertain whether such a model can work without interference from the Palestinian Authority.

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As the debate over the PA continues, the UAE has emerged as a key player in Gaza’s future, a role that is acceptable to all parties. The United Arab Emirates’ willingness to engage in humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts has drawn attention, particularly as the region looks for alternatives to Hamas. “The UAE is the most relevant player in the future of Gaza,” said one Israeli security official. “They have the resources and the desire to contribute, but we are only talking about the civilian aspects.”

While Israel welcomes the participation of Arab countries in the reconstruction of Gaza, security remains a major concern. Israel is determined to prevent a return to the status quo before October 7, ensuring that Hamas does not take control.