Insights

The West Bank and Gaza lay in the very centre of the shifts that have shaken the entire region since October 2023 and deteriorated the security of the Palestinian citizens. In Gaza, it is critical to prevent the total collapse of remaining governance structures and to lay the foundation for a unified Palestinian government encompassing both territories. DCAF has developed a set of realistic and locally owned Interim Security Governance Mechanisms (ISGMs) that can inform ongoing and future processes.

After more than twenty months of war, over 57,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza. The humanitarian situation has worsened to the point where the entire population faces the risk of famine.

Hundreds have been killed in recent weeks while attempting to access food at distribution centres operating in disregard of humanitarian principles. Large parts of the Gaza Strip have suffered near-total destruction of housing and infrastructure. 

According to the United Nations, ninety per cent of Gaza’s current population of 2.1 million people has been displaced during the war, over 714,000 people, or a third of the population in the last three months.

Meanwhile, the security situation in the West Bank has also sharply deteriorated, with at least 40,000 Palestinians forcibly displaced.

DCAF research has shown that the institutions linked to the De-Facto Authority have succeeded to maintain a minimum level of security and rule of law even during the war, thus preventing a failed stated scenario. 

Unfortunately, such a scenario is progressively emerging after the collapse of the ceasefire in the night of 17-18 March 2025, and when Israel intensified attacks against civilian governmental institutions and officials.

Moreover, there is still no clarity on the future governance arrangements for Gaza as part of a broader, unified architecture for the occupied Palestinian territory after the war. 

Yet, given the severity of the current situation, it is imperative to ensure that — even before a ceasefire is reached — immediate steps are taken to prevent a full collapse of governance, further displacement and ease the suffering of Palestinians. 

These temporary efforts should provide a bridge to longer-term political solutions. To this end, DCAF conducted a wide-ranging consultation process involving Palestinian citizens, security stakeholders, political factions, regional actors in five countries, and members of the international community. 

This process led to the development of a set of Interim Security Governance Mechanisms (ISGMs) for the occupied Palestinian territory with a particular focus on Gaza both before and beyond a ceasefire. 

DCAF defines ISGMs as temporary arrangements designed to bridge the gap between violent crisis and institutional collapse, and a future characterised by peaceful, inclusive, and democratic governance. 

The mechanisms proposed by DCAF are rooted in the conviction that any future governance in Gaza must be fully Palestinian-led and part of a reunification process between Gaza and the West Bank. 

The ISGMs propose the creation of an inclusive Temporary Governance Committee to oversee Gaza’s civil administration until a gradual transfer of authority to a unified Palestinian government under a reformed Palestinian Authority can be achieved. 

Given the scale of destruction, the Temporary Governance Committee would be supported by a UN-led or UN-backed Gaza International Mission, deployed temporarily in a technical support capacity.

DCAF is currently engaging with relevant stakeholders to finalise the ISGMs and contribute to international and regional efforts aimed at stabilising Gaza, the West Bank and supporting Palestinian self-determination. DCAF is convinced that these objectives can only be achieved through people-centred security built in response to the needs and aspirations of the people.