Who will rule Gaza once the war is over? Israel, so far, hasn’t provided an answer. The country’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been clear that his aim is to wipe out Hamas. He said this week that Israel will claim responsibility for security in Gaza for an ‘indefinite period’, in order to stop Hamas from rearming and establish long-term security. But Israel is unlikely to have the stomach to stay in Gaza as casualties mount. So who will step into this vacuum?
One possible solution is for the Palestinian Authority (PA) to take over as the ruling body in Gaza. The PA governed over the Palestinian territories following the 1994 Oslo Accords and resulting peace treaty until they lost to Hamas in the 2006 elections. The conflict that followed the elections resulted in two separate authorities: the PA in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza.
If the Palestinian Authority were to return to govern Gaza, it would be perceived as an Israeli-backed pawn
The advantage of restoring the PA is that Palestinians will once again be united under one leadership.
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