Gaza: A secret US State Department document revealed that the United States is preparing to play a ‘prominent’ role in post-war Gaza, and the document – revealed by 4 American officials to Politico – specified how the United States can help ‘achieve stability’ in Gaza. After the ceasefire.
The American website quoted the four officials as saying that the administration of President Joe Biden is considering appointing an American official to be the chief civilian advisor to a mostly Palestinian force when the conflict between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) ends, indicating that the United States plans to participate significantly in securing the post-war period. The war in Gaza.
The officials said the civilian advisor will be based in the region and will work closely with the force commander, who will be either Palestinian or from an Arab country.
The officials, who preferred to remain anonymous, added that Washington is still discussing the amount of official authority that this advisor
will have, as part of a plan for the United States to play a ‘prominent’ role in extracting Gaza from the desperate chaos, as they put it.
According to the site, private discussions between the White House, the Pentagon, and the State Department regarding the advisor’s role – which were not previously reported – reveal that the Biden administration expects to be at the heart of what happens to Gaza long after the war ends. Thus, the United States will be partly responsible for what comes next, including improving the lives of 2.2 million Palestinians suffering in the devastated lands.
The officials said the advisor would never enter Gaza itself. It is an indication of a desire to avoid any suggestion that the United States will dictate the future of the sector, and two officials said that it may be stationed in Sinai, and another said that it may be in Jordan.
According to the site’s sources, the proposal to appoint an advisor and a peacekeeping force has been circulated in secret for months.
Currently, w
ithin an intense planning phase, the US administration is working to bring together multiple partners inside and outside the United States to come together on ideas for achieving post-war stability in Gaza, mainly ‘maintaining security and avoiding rebellion’ in the Strip.
The four officials said the advisor’s plan is one of several “day after” scenarios that have been put forward, which include others focused on developing Gaza’s economy and rebuilding destroyed cities. While many plans include some kind of peacekeeping force, discussions remain heated about its composition and the powers it would be given.
An official said that the Biden administration is trying to persuade Arab countries to join the peacekeeping force.
The official added that there is also a broad agreement between the United States, Israel and regional actors to help form a Palestinian council that includes Palestinians from Gaza to serve as an interim governance structure
Source: Maan News Agency
