Daniel Byman
When the devastating war in the Gaza Strip ends, someone will have to govern the territory. It’s a job that many have held. Israel occupied the strip between 1967, when it conquered Gaza, and 1994, when it transferred official control of most affairs to the newly created Palestinian Authority in the heady days of the Oslo peace negotiations—although Israel maintained 21 settlements there until 2005. In 2006, Hamas won the legislative elections in the Palestinian territories, and in 2007 it pushed its rivals out of Gaza by force. Hamas then governed Gaza, albeit with many Israeli restrictions, until Israel dislodged it in response to the October 7, 2023, attacks. Today, Gaza has no functioning government.
When the shooting stops, Gaza will remain a political and economic wasteland. As of mid-July, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, over 38,000 Gazans are dead. According to UNWRA, 1.9 million—about 80 percent of the territory’s population—are displaced. About 80 percent of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure—such as homes, hospitals, water and sanitation facilities—has been destroyed or damaged, according to the World Health Organization. Now that Hamas no longer polices the territory, crime is rife. Gaza’s economy was stagnant before October 7, but today, there is no economy to speak of. The population will be even more dependent on outside aid than before.
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