WhatsappSince October 7th and especially after the IDF entered Gaza Strip on mass, there has been a lack of answers for the day after. True, most Israelis agree on ensuring Hamas has no control over Gaza, but making sure this happens requires a full return of IDF control over Gaza.
WATCH – Philadelphi Corridor is now paved:
Since the beginning of the war there has been a range of possibilities. Some argued for the Palestinians Authority to return. Others argued for an international force. Yet, the only continued realistic option was for some sort of full IDF control.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has never revealed his plans, only saying that he would discuss at the end of the war. However, he knows a large percentage of the Israeli public supports full military control over the Gaza Strip. A high percentage also wants to rebuild some or all of the Jewish communities that were destroyed in Israel’s pullout in 2005.
Two recent actions indicate that Netanyahu and the military have made up their minds.
The first is the paving of the Philadelphi Corridor. Prime Minister Netanyahu has stood against any pull out from the border between Gaza and Egypt and for good reason. Hundreds of tunnels have now been discovered between Egypt and Gaza that Hamas with the help of the Egyptian government have been using for years to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip.
Despite pressure from the United States, Israel insists on staying in control of the corridor. Paving the Philadelphi Corridor indicates the IDF does not plan on leaving any time soon, essentially applying sovereignty to the southern border of Gaza.
To learn more about the significance of the Philadelphi Corridor, read more here.
The second move is something many on the right have been arguing to implement from the beginning and that is the return of COGAT to the Gaza Strip. COGAT stands for Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories. This is the part of the military in charge of handling Judea and Samaria. COGAT was in charge of Gaza before 2005, but after Israel pulled out, COGAT’s responsibilities were handed over to the Palestinian Authority. We all know how that worked out.
Since the beginning of the war, the issue of handling Gaza’s humanitarian challenges has been a point of contention between Israel and the international community. The right wanted COGAT to return, but bringing back COGAT means Israel would essentially be taking control of Gaza once again.
After months of confusion, Israel appears to have decided that COGAT is in fact returning to the Gaza Strip.
The IDF has established a new role in the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) unit, which will be responsible for humanitarian activities in the Gaza Strip.COGAT official Col. Elad Goren will be the first commander of the “head of the humanitarian-civil effort in the Gaza Strip,” and be promoted to the rank of brigadier general.
The new role will “deal with the integration and implementation of the humanitarian effort in the Gaza Strip and the coordination with the international community, in a way that will allow the implementation of the humanitarian effort while upholding the security interests of the State of Israel.”
COGAT’s return essentially means Israel’s return.
From building permanent structures in both the Philadelphi and Neitzarim Corridors and a reapplication of COGAT, Israel is not planning on going anywhere despite the international pressure. Only a full pacification of Gaza and Israel’s complete control over the area will allow Israeli to finally live in peace and security. Integrating the Strip back into Israel’s security structure and network is the first step towards fully returning Gaza back to its rightful owners – the Jewish people.
