Israel says Hamas won’t rule Gaza. So who will?

Palestinians look for survivors of an Israeli bombardment in the Maghazi refugee camp in the Gaza Strip on Sunday.

Hatem Moussa/AP

TEL AVIV — As Israel presses its military operation in the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country will never again let Hamas rule the territory.

But here’s the problem for Israel: Right now, no one else wants to rule the Gaza Strip.

Israel’s immediate goal of removing Hamas is a major military challenge that’s likely to take two to six months, according to Yaakov Amidror, a former general and national security advisor in Israel.

“We will not allow an organization to be on the other side of the of the fence with capabilities to attack the civilians and to launch rockets into Israel,” said Amidror, who is now a military analyst at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security.

Israel launched its ground operation on Oct. 27, and troops have swiftly taken over much of northern Gaza, and encircled Gaza City, the largest urban center.

But taking full control of the territory may be the easy part. The more daunting challenge could be finding a replacement who’s willing and able to run Gaza.

Israeli troops operate inside the Gaza Strip on Sunday in this photo provided by the Israeli military. Israel says it will not allow Hamas to rule Gaza in the future, but it’s unclear who might be in charge in the territory.

AP via Israel Defense Forces

Israel insists it doesn’t want to remain in Gaza for long

Israel withdrew…