Can the Palestinian Authority control Gaza if Hamas is ousted?
It may be lucky to keep control of the West Bank by the end of this war
AS ISRAELI TROOPS prepare to invade Gaza, one question keeps coming up: who should take control of it after they have rooted out Hamas—if, indeed, they are able to do so? Many, especially Israel’s allies, are looking to the Palestinian Authority (PA), which was thrown out of Gaza by Hamas almost two years after Israel withdrew its troops and dismantled its settlements there in 2005. But the PA seems to be in no position to take charge of the coastal enclave. In fact there are no guarantees that by the end of this war it will even be in control of Ramallah, the de facto capital city of the West Bank.
From the October 28th 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionDiscover more
The Assad regime’s fall voids many of the Middle East’s old certainties
What if Syria abandoned its hostility to the West and stopped menacing Israel?
Syria has exchanged a vile dictator for an uncertain future
It is not clear how stable or how benign the new regime will be
Gambling is growing like gangbusters in America
Technology and legal changes are spurring a betting bonanza
The Adani bribery case could upend Indian business and politics
The allegations against the corporate champion may end up being resolved diplomatically rather than in court
The war in Ukraine is straining Russia’s economy and society
Despite advances on the battlefield, pressure is growing
How will Donald Trump handle the war in Ukraine?
And how will Ukraine, Russia and Europe respond?