Netanyahu was cited as saying that he would like to establish a "civil administration — if possible with local Palestinians and hopefully with support from countries in the region."
The move comes after Netanyahu's office for months instructed security officials to exclude the Palestinian Authority from their plans for the post-conflict management of Gaza, the newspaper reported. The order significantly hampered efforts to suggest realistic proposals for Israel's post-conflict plans, which have become known as "the day after," the report said.
The individuals in question are Gazans who work for the Palestinian Authority and managed civilian affairs in the Gaza Strip until Palestinian movement Hamas' takeover in 2007, the report said, adding that those persons are now being vetted by Israel.
Additionally, Netanyahu's office has started to differentiate between the Palestinian Authority leadership led by President Mahmoud Abbas and "lower level" Palestinian Authority employees already engaged in existing institutions in Gaza, the report added.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel and breached the border, attacking both civilian neighborhoods and military bases. Nearly 1,200 people in Israel were killed and some 240 others abducted during the attack. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. As many as 120 hostages are believed to be still held by Hamas in Gaza and 43 hostages died in captivity.
More than 37,800 people have been killed and over 86,900 others have been wounded in the Gaza Strip as a result of Israel's military operations, Gaza's authorities said.