It feels like it took a long time for Israeli PM Netanyahu to realize that while his ideal of the day after wasn’t going to happen, there were other alternatives that might.
The IDF will be providing protection for a pilot program in Jabaliya where Fatah representatives will handle the distribution of aid to Gazan Palestinians. A few reminders: Fatah is the Palestinian Arab political party that runs the West Bank Palestinian Authority (and that Netanyahu originally did not want to have involved in any part of a new Gaza government). There weren’t many other options.
Currently, the only route for humanitarian aid into Gaza is via Israel. The American floating pier is under repair in Ashdod and won’t be back for another 2 weeks. Egyptian aid convoys were suspended (by Egypt) because they did not want the convoys going into an Israeli controlled area and Israel now runs the Rafah gate. There are talks going on about resuming Egyptian convoys, and I hope they will be resumed.
The American/Israeli hostage proposal does not include any Hamas involvement in running Gaza. They might think they will be able to stage another coup, like the one they pulled off in 2008, and sneak back in. I doubt that will happen.
So far, the pilot program is dealing only with distributing aid (which used ti be a Hamas function, and an important source of revenue and influence). Dealing with ‘the day after’ reconstruction won’t come until the third phase of the proposed deal. A lot can happen before that.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah is firing more and more rockets every day. Western media is still not reporting it. I would have expected the IDF to increase the level of response to this a long time ago. Maybe covert US political pressure is preventing it.
Wetherhorn 