Israel has informed several Arab states that it wants to carve out a buffer zone on the Palestinian side of Gaza’s border to prevent future attacks as part of proposals for an enclave after war ends. These states include Egypt and Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and through intermediaries, Saudi Arabia. Interestingly, no Arab state has shown any willingness to police or administer Gaza in the future. That may change if the UN waves enough of our money at them.

Going back to my thoughts…along with someone to sign a surrender, I have always thought a “mini-Marshall Plan for the Strip in conjunction with a De-Hamasization Plan would be the way to rebuild. Who would oversee it is a big question, one that likely has no answer. But given the strident tone of Defense Minister Gallant’s comments, Israel may settle for crushing the Palestinians and leaving them to their own devices. Not, in my opinion, a good long term choice, but perhaps the best short-term one. Netanyahu wants to de-radicalizing the Strip. That, I think, will take far longer than this war. A whole generation perhaps.

So what do you do with 1.8 million (minus a few tens of thousands) defeated people? As pointed out in comments on Tuesday, Northern Gaza is essentially uninhabitable. It is a wasteland. We are seeing indication that the IDF is carving Gaza into five sectors for combat. Each will face its own destruction. The IDF can crush the Palis, build the barrier, and leave them. They can crush the Palis and institute a policy of laissez-faire servitude to rebuild Gaza…work to rebuild and you get food, water and a place to sleep. (Probably would not be popular in the West but it might actually work.) They can crush the Palis and set up the infrastructure to reestablish the basics of water, electricity, and food and then leave them. Or they can tell the Islamic states and/or the UN to come clean it up. Easily the worst solution for the Palis. Neither the Israelis nor the UN wants to see a Pali holocaust, although the Arab states might not care.

[This is a pretty depressing but likely accurate look at what happens in post-war Gaza. The problem with the “mini-Marshall plan” is that the West and other Arab states have poured billions into Gaza for the last two decades, money that built little other than Hamas’ tunnels and bought mainly their munitions. Gaza remained completely dependent on Israel for water and power despite tons of money intended to develop those utilities on a self-sufficient basis. Without a dramatic change of conditions in the populace, throwing more money at Gaza looks very unproductive … but the alternative may be dangerous too. — Ed]