Whats next?

The Israeli military seems to be going very methodically going thru preplanned steps in destroying the missile launching infrastructure in the Gaza strip. The final stage will be of course the complete recapture of the gaza Strip. That should happen within the next month or so.

Then what?

It remains completely unclear to some what comes next.

Even if Israel manages to destroy the Hamas military infrastructure the question still remains what to do after the military operation ends. To gradually leave after its over will invite the slow but sure rearmament of the Hamas. Even if smuggling tunnels are destroyed there will be other ways the Hamas and Jihad will procure weapons. That will mean rocket attacks on Israel as before. If Israel decides to stay that will cause another nightmare. Dealing with 1.5 million inhabitants of the strip.

Some have come up with a new/ old solution.

Complete internal autonomy for Arabs living in the strip with Israel in charge of all border crossing. That would include control on sea and air along the Gazan coast. Israel would help the local economy by rebuilding the communities destroyed in the failed disengagement from the strip some three years ago. Israel would help rebuild the strip and launch a modern Marshall plan to help those displaced by the fighting. In addition Egypt would allocate some of its territory to ease the overcrowded conditions in the strip.

This plan has the following advantages.

1. Will make it very difficult if not impossible to turn the strip into the terrorist enclave that it was

2. Would ease the transition from war and complete anarchy to a rebuilding mode

3. Would supply Jobs to local residents in the rebuilding of roads and infrastructure

4. Would lessen the extreme overcrowding in the strip

This plan will have some difficulty in its execution.

1. many Arabs contrary to economic common sense will continue to call such an arrangement “ occupation “ and reject it outright

2. Many Israelis do not want to see Jewish communities again being rebuilt in the Gaza strip

3. Egypt does not want to make any real steps to help alleviate extreme over crowding.


The difficulties surrounding this plan are extensive but there seems to be no other real option