Israeli minister lays out next steps for Gaza after Hamas war

Israel's defence minister on Thursday laid out the next steps after the war with Hamas, describing how Gaza would be run. 

With an upcoming visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Yoav Gallant said Israel would keep security control, while an undefined, Israeli-guided Palestinian body handles day-to-day administration. 

The US and other states would oversee reconstruction efforts. 

The Israeli defence minister also detailed that the war would be scaled down. 

There would be a "new combat approach" in northern Gaza, while the fight against Hamas would continue "for as long as necessary" in the south, he said. 

Israel has come under strong pressure to spell out its post-war vision for the Palestinian enclave but has not done so until now. 

The issue is set to be on the agenda during talks with Blinken, Israel and other countries in the region over the weekend. 

The vagueness of Gallant's vision makes it difficult to assess whether Washington will agree. 

However, the US has been pressing Israel to scale down its military operations in Gaza, amid soaring civilian casualties and a dire humanitarian situation. 

Palestinian authorities say more than 22,000 people - mostly women and children - have been killed since war broke out on 7 October. 

The Israeli defence minister set out his plan in a document called "vision for Phase 3" of the war, though his office said the next stage had not yet begun.

It also specified that these ideas were Gallant's and not official policy, which would be defined by Israel's war and security cabinets. 

Israel vowed to destroy Hamas after its 7 October attack in the south of the country, during which militants killed some 1,200 people and abducted 240 others. 

Much of northern Gaza has been flattened beyond recognition by Israeli bombardment, as some 85% of the Strip's 2.3 million people have been driven from their homes. 

The Wall Street Journal reported that almost half of Gaza's buildings have been damaged or destroyed by the fighting.