Analysts warn Israel targeting Gaza civil officials to derail post-war plans
Despite a months-long ceasefire, daily raids and restricted aid have contributed to a death toll exceeding 73,000, while Israeli officials openly endorse the destruction of the territory’s governance structures.
Political and strategic analysts warn that Israel is systematically targeting Gaza’s civil officials, police officers, and intellectuals to sabotage the US-backed post-war reconstruction plan and maintain indefinite control over the territory. Despite a months-long ceasefire agreement, Israel continues to launch daily raids across Gaza, citing security threats, while restricting humanitarian aid entry. The ongoing violence has contributed to a total death toll since October 2023 of at least 73,233 Palestinians, with 173,707 injured, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office. Experts argue the strategy aims to paralyse the Trump administration’s “Board of Peace” and render Gaza uninhabitable, thereby undermining diplomatic efforts by Palestinian factions and Arab mediators.
An Israeli attack in northern Gaza’s Jabalia camp on Tuesday killed the director of a police station and several officers, illustrating a broader pattern of violence against civic leadership. Since the ceasefire took effect, there have been 3,689 recorded Israeli violations resulting in 1,122 Palestinians killed and 3,599 injured, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office. The United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has recorded at least 12 attacks on police since January 2026, killing 35 personnel. At least 117 academics have been killed, including Sufyan Tayeh, president of the Islamic University of Gaza.
Humanitarian access remains severely restricted, with only 35 percent of expected aid trucks and 36 percent of permitted travellers allowed to cross borders. Israel has expanded its military control footprint from 50 percent to 70 percent of Gaza. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that the destruction of Gaza is a deliberate policy and that seeing the devastation brings him comfort. Hamas has dissolved its governmental administrative committee in favour of a technocratic body to remove pretexts for stalling the ceasefire.
Mohannad Mustafa, an academic and expert in Israeli affairs, told Al Jazeera that Israel is employing three primary tools to achieve its objectives: normalising daily attacks, expanding its occupation footprint, and blocking political transition. He noted that the strategy prevents the implementation of the Trump plan while ensuring Gaza remains a military and security issue rather than a political one. Mustafa argued that this approach is encouraged by the Board of Peace adopting the Israeli position regarding linking the entire agreement to disarmament.
Palestinian factions are working with mediators in Cairo, including Egypt, Qatar, and Turkiye, to forge a unified Arab and Islamic stance. Ahmed al-Tanani, a writer and political analyst, stated that this bloc is expected to pressure the US to move beyond broad endorsements of the ceasefire and enforce the plan’s specific, operational details. Until such measures are implemented, observers warn that Gaza will remain trapped in a calculated limbo of destruction and occupation, with the Board of Peace lacking the tools or security forces required to assert control.
