Israel reportedly considering Palestinian Majed Faraj to manage post-war Gaza
Majed Faraj, the head of the Palestinian Authority’s intelligence apparatus, has reportedly been put forward as a potential post-war administrator of the besieged Gaza enclave by Israeli officials.
His name was raised at a private security meeting.
In an interview with Israel’s state broadcaster, Kan, opposition leader Yair Lapid said: “it is natural to bring up the name of Faraj, in the PA. He is one of the figures who worked with us the most against Hamas.”
Faraj is renowned for working closely with Israeli defence officials, and has always been seen by Palestinian Authority (PA) leaders as the most likely substitute for PA President Mahmoud Abbas.
According to Israeli media reports, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has proposed Faraj, who is also a close associate of Abbas, to temporarily manage the Gaza Strip in the “post-war” phase.
Al Jazeera, quoting Israeli media, said that Faraj had already started work on building an armed force in the south of the Gaza Strip, comprised of families who do not endorse Hamas. The unit will allegedly be tasked with managing aid deliveries from the south to the north of Gaza.
Responding to these reports, Hossam Badran, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, told Al Jazeera that there will be “no internal Palestinian agreement in isolation from the Palestinian national decision, that always stems from a reconciliation with the various Palestinian factions and forces”.
He added that the “Israeli occupation, any regional or international party are not allowed to mess around in the internal Palestinian arena or force its agendas”.
Post-war vision
Currently, Faraj is in charge of coordinating with Israel’s Shin Bet security agency, the CIA and other international intelligence establishments.
According to Kan, other names were brought up in the discussion, none of whom are close to Hamas. Kan reports that no decision has yet been made on what is described as “the day after” the war ends in Gaza.
