Retired Israeli top official weighs in on Gaza future

Eitan Dangot, the ex-coordinator for Palestinian territories, said authorities from the West Bank should replace Hamas 

It would be in Israel’s best interest if the Palestinian administration from the West Bank filled the vacuum left behind by Hamas in Gaza, if and when the Israeli military succeeds in vanquishing the militant group, a former Israeli top official has told RT Arabic. Eitan Dangot, who served as Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, also claimed that there were some terrorist hotspots in the West Bank as well.  

Appearing on the ‘Newsmaker’ show on Monday, Dangot said that the reaction of the head of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, to Hamas’ attack on Israel last month stripped him of the “right to be our partner.” Nevertheless, the former Israeli official expressed hope that there would be “new figures” from that side coming in to govern Gaza once the Israeli military operation has been completed.  

Dangot acknowledged that Israel has made a number of mistakes in its relations with the Palestinian Authority in the past, noting, however, that those can still be rectified going forward. What Israel will need is a “new policy towards the Palestinian Authority,” the former government coordinator explained.  

Speaking of military operations that Israeli troops have been conducting in the West Bank as of late, he described the territory as a “very sensitive area,” as its northern section has turned into “one of the main capitals of the terror.” 

The former Israeli government coordinator singled out the city of Jenin, which the Palestinian administration lost control over a long time ago, he claimed.  

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Dangot went on to allege that the city was now overrun by Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants, who had apparently joined forces with some elements of Fatah. 

US officials have been discussing a scenario with Israel in which thousands of Hamas militants would be given free passage from besieged Gaza and relocate elsewhere, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. 

According to the media outlet, the scheme harkens back to a similar arrangement that put an end to the Israeli siege of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, back in 1982, and saw Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) militants moving to other nations. 

Meanwhile, the Times of Israel has alleged that the Israeli government had for years unofficially considered Hamas as a useful counterbalance to the Palestinian Administration, which is largely represented by Fatah.