The Inevitable Role of Clans in Post-Conflict Stabilization in Gaza

As the Gaza War was entering an advanced stage in December 2023, different parties, especially within Israel's hawkish government, came to suggest that local Palestinian clans may serve as the basis for replacing Hamas's rule once toppled. These suggestions encountered harsh criticisms across the spectrum. This paper, published in the widely-read magazine War on the Rocks, suggested that while there are many flaws in this programme, one should not ignore the potential role clans can play, and are likely to demand, in any future process of post-conflict reconstruction.