The US and Israel are considering a plan that would divide Gaza into separate zones controlled by Israel and Hamas, with reconstruction taking place only on the Israeli side, as a temporary measure until the group is disarmed and removed from power.

US Vice President Jay D. Vance and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner outlined the rationale for the plan at a news conference on Tuesday in Israel, where they arrived to press both sides to respect the truce. As part of the ceasefire, Israel has withdrawn some of its forces and controls about 53% of the Gaza Strip.

Vance said that in Gaza there are two areas, one relatively safe and one extremely dangerous, and that the goal is to expand the safe zone geographically. Until then, Kushner has made it clear that no funds will be allocated for reconstruction in areas that remain under Hamas control, with the effort focused on the “safe” side.

“There are already thoughts about the territory controlled by the Israeli army (IDF), if it can be secured, to start rebuilding a new Gaza there to give the Palestinians a place to live, work and create,” Kushner said.

Arab mediators appear particularly concerned about the plan, which they say the United States and Israel have put on the peace talks table. Arab governments strongly oppose the idea of ​​dividing Gaza, arguing that doing so could lead to a permanent Israeli presence in the enclave. Under these circumstances, it is considered unlikely that they will commit to sending forces to police the area.

A senior US administration official said this was a preliminary idea, adding that further information would be forthcoming in the coming days.

truce, brokered by the Trump administration and entered into force on October 10, defined the Israeli military’s zone of control on the map. It is essentially a security zone that surrounds the Gaza border and encloses the area that remains under Palestinian control. The Israeli zone is expected to shrink gradually as specific milestones are reached under the ceasefire.

In essence, the idea of ​​a divided Gaza highlights the unresolved difficulties of disarming Hamas and creating an alternative governing body that could manage the Strip and create a safe environment for the billions of dollars of investment needed for reconstruction.

Trump’s peace plan calls for a commission of technocrats to govern Gaza and an international force to provide security, but details remain unclear. Many Arab governments believe Gaza should be administered by the Palestinian Authority, which rules much of the West Bank, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly opposes allowing it to play a role.

According to White House officials, Jared Kushner is the prime mover behind the “dual rebuild” plan, which he has drawn up with special envoy Steve Witkoff. The same sources say Kushner has already briefed Trump and Vance on the plan and secured their support.

Some officials, however, point out that the plan still needs to resolve critical issues before it can become viable, including how to secure basic services for Palestinians living in the Israeli-controlled Gaza Strip, assuming they even agree to move there.

According to officials, the US administration had already considered the possibility of rebuilding areas not controlled by Hamas even before the ceasefire was reached, in the hope that doing so would improve living conditions for Palestinians and serve as a symbol of a post-Hamas Gaza.

At the same time, there is concern about how to control movement to ensure that members of Hamas do not enter the Israeli zone. One of the proposals put forward by US officials is the creation of a fact-checking program led by Israeli authorities.

Some mediators believe the United States is trying to buy time as it continues to seek solutions to difficult governance issues in post-war Gaza.

Washington’s top priority is maintaining the truce, which has been repeatedly called into question by a series of incidents and disputes over Hamas’ refusal to return the bodies of some of the dead hostages remaining in Gaza. The administration has sent Vice President Jay De Vance, Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff to Israel to keep the momentum of talks going, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to arrive on Thursday.

Hamas has not committed to disarmament. Instead, it has stepped up its crackdown on its opponents in order to reassert its control over Gaza’s Palestinian population, most of which is outside the Israeli control zone. According to the Israeli military, Hamas fighters have opened fire on Israeli soldiers on several occasions.

Gauze

The idea of ​​a two-zone reconstruction in Gaza has found supporters among some Israeli analysts, who see it as an opportunity to further weaken Hamas.

The plan to develop the Israeli-controlled areas of Gaza could weaken Hamas politically while allowing the Israeli military to continue operations that reduce its combat capability, said Ofer Guterman, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.

Over time, Israel could reclaim more territory from Hamas control while also strengthening the security zone around Israeli towns near the Gaza border that were attacked during the October 7, 2023, Hamas offensive that sparked the war.

Avivi made it clear that the goal would not be to permanently divide Gaza, but to pressure Hamas to disarm. He said he would not be surprised if Israel attempted to expand its zone of control if Hamas refused to withdraw.

However, any plan to divide Gaza is expected to face a strong backlash from the Palestinians, said Tahani Mustafa, a researcher at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

Since the start of the war, many Palestinians have feared that Israel will attempt to replicate in Gaza what it did in the West Bank, namely to take full security control, confining Palestinians to small, disjointed zones of control.

“Gaza is the only unified territorial area of ​​a future Palestinian state,” Mustafa emphasized. “Such a plan could lead to exactly what the Palestinians feared.”