DEALING WITH THE DAY AFTER IN GAZA - Hamas must be expelled from Gaza and local Palestinians relocated

Friday, February 7, 2025

By: Joseph Puder

Once the guns in Gaza fall silent and the Israeli hostages are back home, it is clear to both Jerusalem and Washington that Hamas and its fellow terrorists must be gone, either through combat or voluntary evacuation.

President Trump’s notion that both Egypt and Jordan, and perhaps even the remote Indonesia, might take in a large number of Palestinians from Gaza is a practical idea, even if it seems unacceptable to the Arab states at this time. Gaza cannot be rebuilt in less than a decade, at a minimum, and it currently does not have the infrastructure to support its population. Therefore, for the work to take place, the people must be relocated.

Sadly, virtually no Arab country is willing to absorb the Palestinians. Kuwait, after its liberation from Saddam Hussein’s brutal conquest in 1991, kicked out half a million Palestinians deemed disloyal (for having supported Saddam Hussein) and considered ungrateful. Nevertheless, with the right financial incentives Egypt, for one, might take a chance.

Once the second two phases of the hostage deal have been completed (sadly doubtful!) and the fighting ends, Israel along with the US must undergo a reality check. As things stands, there will still be about twenty thousand active Hamas fighters in Gaza and miles of useable tunnels that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not get to blow up. Hamas and its terror partners, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), are working feverishly to restore their military capabilities and recruit a new generation of killers.  PM Netanyahu and President Trump understand that without expelling the terrorist groups from Gaza, no reconstruction of Gaza can begin.

Currently, and in the near future, it is absolutely essential that Hamas does not take over the distribution of the humanitarian aid coming into Gaza.  The aid coming into Gaza means revenue for the terrorist organization. Hamas operatives have stolen the aid and are selling it to the needy Gazans at exorbitant prices.

Establishing a so-called “technocratic” government in Gaza will simply be a sham if Hamas is still present.  Hamas will control “the street” and dictate matters in Gaza, as long as it is in possession of guns, Hamas will continue to manipulate the Western media outlets by providing deliberately exaggerated casualty figures through their “Health Authority.” A technocratic government would, therefore, be unable to enforce policy.

Israel and its allies must seek a “Tunis-like” solution to the terrorist fighters of Hamas and PIJ and, expel them to a country like Algeria, as was done in 1982 when Arafat and the PLO terrorists were removed from Lebanon and sent to Tunisia.  It must be made clear to the world that as long as Hamas controls Gaza it is only a matter of time before the next war takes place. This means that rebuilding Gaza would be a waste of effort.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) is not the solution for governance in Gaza. Expelled from Gaza by Hamas in 2007, it has no support among the Gazans who voted for Hamas. Moreover, the PA’s future is cast in doubt as its leader Mahmoud Abbas will shortly be gone, and a power struggle will paralyze the PA. The PA currently supports terrorists who kill Israelis in a “Pay to Slay” scheme with funds received from donor nations.  In both Gaza and Judea and Samaria a.k.a. the West Bank, a lengthy and far-reaching reform process for Palestinian governance and society is essential, including a comprehensive program of deradicalization.

It is therefore imperative that President Trump recognize that, for the foreseeable future, only Israel’s administrative and military authority can handle the incoming aid. That would be the most suitable solution for Gaza’s civilian population.  No outside group will have the stamina to fight Hamas and uproot its corruptive control of Gaza.  Israel has proven in the past that it can find and operate an adequate civilian Palestinian authority without Hamas intimidation.   Israel will need funding as it cannot afford a long stay in Gaza due to the financial burden of sustaining the Palestinian population.

Ultimately, after Israel stabilizes the situation in Gaza, and Hamas is out of the picture, an International Trust led by the US and made up of moderate Arab Gulf states and western allies of the US and Israel must take over. The Trust would support all aspects of Gaza’s recovery. This includes construction of apartments, schools, etc., providing humanitarian assistance, restoring basic services, and helping rebuild civil society. 

The civilian population in Gaza must be made to understand that rebuilding Gaza will not occur as long as Hamas is in power and maintains its terror infrastructure. Gazans have to know that there is no future for Gaza with Hamas at the helm and that there is a price to be paid for attacking Israel.  To be able to accomplish the rebuilding of Gaza, a large portion of the population of Gaza must be relocated as suggested by President Trump.

It is inevitable that the population of Gaza will shrink as a result of the war and devastation brought about by Hamas’s murderous attack on Israel.  The remedial lesson in a rebuilt Gaza must also be accompanied by a new educational system that fosters appreciation for democracy, tolerance, and the value of peace, as opposed to the antisemitic incitement that has flourished at UNRWA schools and must include doing away with the refugee camps that have served as a breeding ground for terrorists.  It will probably take a decade to rebuild Gaza and decades to moderate the Gazans!  

When Israel left Gaza in 2005, the enclave was productive and could, with the right leadership, become another Singapore.  Making it happen will depend on President Trump’s resolve to build the infrastructure for a new Gaza and new Gazans.