The tunnels, and element of surprise they offered, were the reason Israel lost so many soldiers. Without them, Israel will have a freer hand next time it wants to "mow the grass," as its commanders call Gaza's repeated destruction.
Last week Israel's defense minister Moshe Yaalon warned that rebuilding Gaza would be conditioned on Hamas's good behavior. Israel wanted to be sure "the funds and equipment are not used for terrorism, therefore we are closely monitoring all of the developments."
The PA and UN will have to submit to a database reviewed by Israel the details of every home that needs rebuilding. Indications are that Israeli drones will watch every move on the ground.
Israel will be able to veto anyone it considers a militant -- which means anyone with a connection to Hamas or Islamic Jihad. Presumably, Israel hopes this will dissuade most Palestinians from associating with the resistance movements.
Further, it is hard not to assume that the supervision system will provide Israel with the GPS co-ordinates of every home in Gaza, and the details of every family, consolidating its control when it next decides to attack. And Israel can hold the whole process to ransom, pulling the plug at any moment.
Sadly, the UN -- desperate to see relief for Gaza's families -- has agreed to conspire in this new version of the blockade, despite its violating international law and Palestinians' rights.
Washington and its allies, it seems, are only too happy to see Hamas and Islamic Jihad deprived of the materials needed to resist Israel's next onslaught.
The New York Times summed up the concern: "What is the point of raising and spending many millions of dollars ... to rebuild the Gaza Strip just so it can be destroyed in the next war?"
For some donors exasperated by years of sinking money into a bottomless hole, upgrading Gaza to a super-max prison looks like a better return on their investment.
A version of this article first appeared
in the National, Abu Dhabi.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
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