I have actually spent a lot of time thinking about what the right and moral way for Israel to handle Hamas, Gaza, and the Palestinians would be. The terrorist and Islamist element in Gaza and the West Bank must be wiped out. However, no one should be advocating for genocide against the Palestinians or the complete displacement of Palestinians from their historical land. The United States has a key strategic National Security interest in keeping a strong and secure Israel in the Middle East as a bulwark and ally for any future conflicts in the area.
The most apparent option, which appears to be underway, is a total warfare purging of Hamas from the Palestinian lands by building-to-building, street-to-street fighting. This will likely compare or even exceed the tally of KIA and wounded during Fallujah or Mosul. It is horrific but necessary. But what happens afterward?
Gaza and the West Bank should be administered by Israel as territories, akin to DC or Puerto Rico here. Palestinians pay taxes, enjoy freedom of speech and religion, social services and entitlements equal to all Israeli citizens, etc. There is no Palestinian Authority. They can elect municipal leaders, city councils, and non-voting delegates to the Knesset. Should they be able to vote in General Elections in Israel? Should they be able to move out of the Palestinian territories to other parts of Israel and vote for other offices? To say “yes” would jeopardize Israel’s Jewish identity in the long-term. To say “no” would turn Israel into the apartheid state that liars already call it as.
Weapons must be prevented from entering the Palestinian territories at all costs. There would be no Palestinian militia or police force. The Israeli government would have to control all ports of entry – land, sea, and air. There would have to be special courts and tribunals set up to review possible violations of the laws restricting Palestinian weapons possession. They should be free from unreasonable search and seizure, but enforcement agencies should be able to move quickly and discreetly when trafficking or planning is reasonably suspected.
All the free world will benefit from Hamas being wiped from the face of the Earth. As such, the UN should establish a fund to assist Israel and the Palestinians in the rebuilding of Gaza. To leave them impoverished and destitute will only make the next generation of Hamas worse – more bitter and more violent. If the United States could heal from the Civil War, as did Europe and Japan from the Second World War, then it is reasonable to expect that Palestine and Israel can heal after this conflict IF the human dignity of both parties is taught and respected to all generations.
Those are my thoughts, I would love to hear yours (some trolling expected and will be ignored)
I would like to think there is a solution as you outlined, but most likely war will continue forever in the Middle East. I would say Israel needs to eliminate the Gaza Strip and deport all Palestinians to the West Bank. At least in future conflicts, there would be one less front Israel would have to fight on. I fear Israel may lose its Jewish identity one day, not because of the grit of the IDF, but rather due to the secular decay of the people. The modern Israeli is more like a Sam Bankman-Fried than a Meir Har-Zion. I have read articles about how some of the Jews killed in the recent Hamas attacks were Palestine sympathizers and peaceniks. I wonder if they even fought back. The younger generations of Israelis are slowing becoming soft and don't have the grit of the men and women who fought in the Six-Day War and Yom Kippur War. If the IDF clears out the Gaza Strip building by building, it will be extremely bloody. Would Israel accept losing ten of thousands of troops to complete its mission? Hamas has extensive tunnel networks and advanced weapons provided by Iran. The next month or two will be interesting.