Falcon powers – The plan that Israel has presented to its US allies for Gaza after the war involves managing the enclave in cooperation with influential local clans.
However, the problem is that no one wants to be seen speaking to the enemy in a place where the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) still wields significant influence.
Israel is under pressure from Washington to stop the bleeding of human losses and end its military offensive after nearly nine months, but it does not want Hamas to take over responsibility after the war.
Therefore, Israeli officials are trying to chart a path for the post-fighting period.
According to public statements by senior Israeli officials, one of the cornerstones of the plan is to form an alternative civilian administration comprising local Palestinian parties that are not part of the existing authority structures and are willing to work with Israel.
But the only reasonable candidates in Gaza for this role, the heads of the powerful local clans, are not willing to participate, according to interviews conducted by Reuters with five members of the major clans in Gaza, including the head of one clan.
Tahani Mustafa, a prominent Palestinian analyst at the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think tank, said Israel “is desperately searching for local clans and families on the ground to work with… and they are refusing.”
Tahani, who has contacts with some of the families and other local stakeholders in Gaza, said the clans do not want to participate, partly due to their fear of Hamas’ retaliation.
