Why Netanyahu’s plan for Gaza faces Arab resistance and security pushback

Why Netanyahu’s plan for Gaza faces Arab resistance and security pushback

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has outlined a postwar vision for Gaza that includes seizing Gaza City and eventually handing the enclave to unnamed “Arab forces” — but without any role for Hamas or the Palestinian Authority (PA). The Israeli cabinet approved the military move on Friday, despite opposition from the country’s top security officials. The plan has already drawn strong condemnation from Arab states and further complicated the prospects for regional cooperation, the New York Times reported.

Why Arab nations are hesitant

Arab governments including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt have signalled willingness to back a postwar security mission in Gaza — but only if control is ultimately transferred to the PA and paired with a political path toward Palestinian statehood. Israel’s exclusion of the PA crosses a clear red line for these states, making it unlikely they would send troops or invest the estimated $50 billion needed to rebuild.

Security chiefs’ concerns

Israel’s military leadership has questioned whether exhausted reserve soldiers can sustain a new offensive in Gaza City nearly two years into the war. They warn that such a move is unlikely to decisively defeat Hamas, which has withstood multiple large-scale Israeli assaults without surrendering its weapons or political control. Analysts say it could take weeks to mount the operation, giving time for international pressure or a truce deal to alter the plan.

Arab initiatives and Israel’s rejection

In late July, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the Arab League, joined by other nations, unveiled a proposal at a France–Saudi conference supporting a Palestinian state. It called for Hamas to demilitarize, relinquish its rule in Gaza, and release hostages. The plan included an international security mission to transition control to the PA. Israel’s cabinet has instead made ending the war contingent on an administration “that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority.”

Obstacles from both sides

Hamas says it would give up governance in Gaza as part of a comprehensive end-of-war agreement but insists on retaining its military wing — a demand Israel rejects as leaving Hamas effectively in charge. Netanyahu, meanwhile, is seen as unwilling to risk his coalition by agreeing to a settlement that would empower the PA or halt the war before Hamas is fully disarmed.

The narrowing options

With no agreement on postwar governance, Israel appears to be edging toward direct control of Gaza — a path analysts warn could be costly, prolonged, and bloody. Former Israeli intelligence officer Michael Milshtein called the July Arab proposal “not ideal” but still preferable to a full occupation. “At this point, all of the choices are bad, and we need to pick the least bad option,” he said.