IntelBrief: What Follows Hamas in Gaza?

Bottom Line Up Front

• Israel plans to remove Hamas from power in the Gaza Strip but plans for the long-term governance of the territory are yet undefined and fraught with significant challenges.
• Israel seeks to avoid a renewed occupation of the Gaza Strip and to cede responsibility for its security and welfare to the Arab states.
• Most experts agree that the optimal solution is for Palestinians to govern the Gaza Strip, but the Palestinian Authority that controls the West Bank remains unpopular, and there are several challenges to its legitimacy.
• It is likely that Hamas, or its derivatives or offshoots, will form an insurgent campaign to regain power or disrupt whatever governing authority is set up in Gaza.