Israel-linked lobby quietly pushes for ex-PA businessman to govern postwar Gaza

A quiet, months-long effort is reportedly underway to position senior Palestinian businessman and former Palestinian Authority (PA) official Samir Hulileh as governor of post-war Gaza, in a plan promoted by controversial Israeli lobbyist Ari Ben-Menashe and backed by US and Arab regimes.

The proposal aims to bring in a Palestinian figure who would operate under Arab League auspices, be acceptable to both Israel and the United States, and help shape "the day after" governance of the besieged enclave, according to Israeli investigative outlet Shomrim and the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, citing people involved in the initiative and filings with the US Department of Justice.

The Palestinian presidency has dismissed Israeli media reports suggesting such an appointment was being made with the knowledge of the Palestinian leadership.

A senior official told the official news agency WAFA that the only body authorised to govern Gaza is the State of Palestine, represented either by the government or an agreed-upon administrative committee headed by a cabinet minister.

Any engagement outside that framework, the official said, is a departure from the national line and aligns with Israel’s aim of separating Gaza from the West Bank and displacing its residents.

The push to position Hulileh is reportedly being led by several parties, most prominently a lobbying group headed by Ben-Menashe, who operates from Canada. Ben-Menashe said his initiative had gained momentum in recent weeks, particularly after meetings in the United States and talks Hulileh held in Egypt to discuss the appointment.

Hulileh, who resides in Ramallah and holds a degree in economics, is a well-known political and economic figure within the PA.

His career includes senior PA roles and extensive business connections. In 2005, he served as secretary-general of the Palestinian government, later becoming deputy minister of economy and trade, chairman of the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute, board member of the Palestine Trade Center, CEO of the PA's largest holding company PADICO, and chairman of the Palestinian Stock Exchange.

He is considered close to Palestinian-American billionaire Bashar al-Masri, the developer of the new West Bank city of Rawabi, who has ties to US President Donald Trump's administration.

Filings with the US Justice Department show Ben-Menashe registered several months ago as a lobbyist for Hulileh, with the declared aim of influencing US policymakers to support his appointment as Gaza governor. The proposal is premised on the idea that all major players would prefer Gaza to be run by a Palestinian figure under US and Arab sponsorship.

The initiative reportedly began late last year during the final months of former US president Joe Biden's term, but gained traction after Trump returned to the White House in January. Additional filings submitted last week indicate Ben-Menashe had also discussed the plan with officials in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

Ben Menashe's chequered history 

Ben-Menashe, an Iranian-born former Israeli intelligence officer of Iraqi descent, is a controversial figure whose name has been linked to high-profile, and at times notorious, cases.

In the early 1980s, he was involved in the Iran–Contra affair, in which the Reagan administration secretly sold weapons to Iran for use in its war with Iraq in exchange for the release of US hostages held in Lebanon. He was tried in the US and acquitted, later emigrating to Australia and then Canada.

Since registering as a lobbyist in the US, Ben-Menashe has worked for clients including Zimbabwe's late President Robert Mugabe, Myanmar's military junta, Kyrgyzstan, Congo, Vanuatu, Burkina Faso’s president, and Sudan's military rulers.

Speaking to Shomrim, Ben-Menashe confirmed his role in promoting Hulileh's candidacy and said the effort was "personally important" to him and "good for the [Israelis]".

He said the plan was being advanced with senior US officials and envisioned Hulileh working under the Arab League's sponsorship, particularly Egypt and Saudi Arabia, as a way to avoid Israeli opposition to the Palestinian Authority formally taking over Gaza.

Ben-Menashe's US filings also outline a broader plan, including deploying US and Arab forces in Gaza, securing a special UN-recognised status for the territory, leasing Egyptian land in Sinai for an airport and seaport, and obtaining gas exploration rights off Gaza’s coast.

Hulileh's role and conditions

In his own comments to Shomrim, Hulileh confirmed that the idea originated with Ben-Menashe, who travelled from Canada to meet him and present the concept.

"Money has never been the problem," he said, disclosing that he has so far paid $130,000 of a $300,000 lobbying contract.

Hulileh stressed that the first step must be a permanent ceasefire and an end to the war. "Only then can we talk about post-war Gaza," he said. He envisions himself as a "project manager" for Gaza's reconstruction, bringing in 600 to 1,000 truckloads of aid daily and opening at least four or five unrestricted commercial crossings.

He also called for restoring law and order in the Strip, led by "an authority that is neither the Palestinian Authority nor Hamas, but one that must be respected".

The territory, he said, "cannot remain full of weapons from Hamas or Islamic Jihad", and residents must feel "secure" in their homes.

The next stage, according to Hulileh, would be a large-scale financial injection. He estimates that reconstruction would require $53 billion, with Gulf states prepared to contribute but expecting substantial commitments from both the US and the EU.

Hulileh said nothing can move forward until the war ends, but claimed there were signs of progress, pointing to what he described as Israel's first apparent willingness to discuss ending the war outright. He cited remarks by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to the families of Israeli captives, saying the plan was to "end the war and return all the captives at the same time".

Last week, Israel's security cabinet approved a plan to occupy Gaza and forcibly transfer one million Palestinians from Gaza City and central refugee camps to fenced areas in the south.

Israel's genocidal war on the besieged enclave has killed over 61,000 people - mostly women, children and elderly, and devastated almost all of the enclave's infrastructure.