US and Israel consider plan to divide Gaza into two zones of control

The United States and Israel are considering a new plan that provides for the division of the Gaza Strip into two control zones, with one under Israeli administration and the other under Hamas.

According to the plan, as described by the Wall Street Journal, reconstruction will be limited to the Israeli side as a temporary measure, until Hamas is removed from power and fully disarmed.

The plan was presented in Israel by US Vice President, J.D. Vance, and Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. The purpose of their visit to the Middle East was to pressure both sides to adhere to the agreed-upon armistice, which provides for the withdrawal of Israeli troops and Israel’s full management of 53% of Gaza.

Vance stressed that Gaza is divided into two areas: one safe and one dangerous. The goal, he stated, is to geographically expand the safe area. Kushner noted that, until the removal of Hamas is completed, no reconstruction funding will be allocated to the areas that remain under the control of the terrorist organisation.

“The thoughts being made now in the area controlled by the IDF focus on the potential for reconstruction, in order to create a new Gaza, offering Palestinians a place to live, work, and find opportunities,” Kushner stated.

Arab countries are deeply concerned about the plan, which they claim has been discussed in peace talks. Arab governments express their opposition to the division of Gaza, fearing that it could lead to the creation of a permanent Israeli control zone in the area. The possibility of them committing troops to police Gaza under these conditions seems extremely doubtful.

According to a high-ranking US government official, the plan is in a preliminary stage and announcements about its development are expected in the coming period.

The truce, which came into effect on October 10th, established a yellow line on the map, which “marks” Israel’s control area in Gaza. This line surrounds the Palestinian-controlled area, and the Israeli zone will be gradually reduced, based on achieved benchmarks.

The divided Gaza plan reflects the unresolved challenges of disarming Hamas and establishing an alternative government that could take over the oversight of Gaza and create an environment safe for the necessary investments required for the reconstruction of the area.

Trump’s peace plan provides for the formation of a technocratic committee to administer Gaza and the deployment of an international force to provide security, but the details remain unclear. Many Arab countries believe that the Palestinian Authority, which controls a large part of the West Bank, should take over the oversight of Gaza, but Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is strongly opposed to this idea.

White House officials stated that Kushner is the main proponent of the divided reconstruction plan and has secured the support of Trump and Vance for its implementation.

The US government had already considered rebuilding areas outside of Hamas’ control before the armistice was signed, hoping to improve the living conditions of Palestinians and create a symbol of a Gaza without Hamas. However, there is concern about how to prevent Hamas members from entering the areas under Israeli control. Some US officials proposed creating a vetting program under the supervision of Israeli authorities. The US appears to be buying time while simultaneously examining the difficult issues of post-war governance.

The main priority is to maintain compliance with the armistice, which has been challenged by a series of incidents and disagreements surrounding Hamas’ failure to return the bodies of dead hostages. Some analysts in Israel see the divided reconstruction as an opportunity for Israel to further undermine Hamas and strengthen security in the region.

The idea of creating Hamas-free zones in Gaza has received support from Israeli analysts, who believe that this strategy could politically weaken the organisation and strengthen Israel’s military position.

Palestinians are worried about the consequences of dividing Gaza, fearing that Israel will try to replicate the same plan it is following in the West Bank in the area.

(information from protothema.gr)