U.S. and Israeli officials looking to the future of the Gaza Strip after dislodging Hamas have begun discussing possibilities, including potentially installing an interim government backed by the United Nations and with the involvement of Arab governments, people familiar with US government deliberations said, according to NDTV.
The discussions are still at an early stage and hinge on developments yet to unfold, not least of which would be success in an Israeli ground assault, according to the people, who asked not to be identified detailing private deliberations. And any such possibility would need buy-in from Arab nations around the region, which is by no means certain.
Israeli officials have said repeatedly that they don't intend to occupy Gaza, but they've also said that continued rule by Hamas is unacceptable after the Oct. 7 attack in which the group killed 1,400 Israelis and took 200 people hostage.
The challenge of achieving both of those objectives has helped fuel US worries that Israel hasn't given sufficient thought to what comes after a ground assault. The US is also worried that a Gaza attack with no clear objective beyond ousting Hamas could fan the conflict into a regional war.
A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said the focus at the moment is uniting the world against terrorists and on delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza as soon as possible. Hamas has been designated a terrorist group by the US and the European Union.
At the same time, the fate of Gaza after the likely ground invasion has become one of the most pressing worries for American officials. In the two weeks since the Hamas attack took place, President Joe Biden's team has sought to balance support for Israel with concerns about an unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
As part of the ongoing conversations, the US and its allies have sought to slow the timing of the invasion to buy time for more people to flee northern Gaza and for secret talks mediated by Qatar to win the release of hostages held by Hamas, according to people familiar with the efforts. Two US citizens - a mother and daughter from Illinois - were released on Friday.
