A NEW US-backed plan would divide Gaza into separate zones controlled by Israel and Hamas, allowing reconstruction only in the Israeli-held area and raising fears of a permanent Israeli occupation within the Strip.
The proposal, reported by the Wall Street Journal, is among the most significant frameworks under discussion since the fragile ceasefire between Hamas and the occupying Israeli regime began on 10 October.
It would establish what US officials describe as a ‘temporary structure’ to stabilise the Israeli-controlled portion of the territory while negotiations continue over disarmament and the formation of a transitional administration.
‘No reconstruction funds will be going into areas that Hamas still controls,’ said Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and a central figure in the Gaza talks, during a visit to the occupied territories on Tuesday.
‘There are considerations happening now in the area that the Israeli military controls, as long as that can be secured, to start the construction as a new Gaza.’
US Vice President JD Vance described Gaza as ‘two zones — one relatively safe and one extremely dangerous’, stating that Washington’s goal was ‘to expand the safe zone geographically’.
A senior US official said the plan remains ‘preliminary’ and that further details will be released ‘in the coming days’.
The proposal has already drawn sharp criticism from Arab mediators involved in recent negotiations, who oppose any partitioning of Gaza and warn that it risks formalising a lasting Israeli-controlled zone.
They have also rejected suggestions that Arab forces be deployed to police the arrangement.
The ceasefire map drafted under Trump’s direction already includes a yellow line marking Israeli control, intended to shrink gradually as specific milestones are met.
But critics argue the plan could replicate Israeli tactics in the occupied West Bank, fragmenting Gaza and eroding its territorial integrity under the guise of ‘temporary’ administration.
Israeli commentators have welcomed the framework as a means to weaken Hamas politically and militarily, expanding Israel’s buffer along the enclave’s border and consolidating its control.
The White House confirmed that Kushner, working alongside envoy Steve Witkoff, is leading the initiative with Trump’s full support.
At the centre of the debate is the question of how to disarm Hamas and establish a civilian authority that could attract investment for reconstruction.
Meanwhile, Gaza remains in ruins. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) estimates that more than 61 million tonnes of debris now blanket the Strip.
‘Entire neighbourhoods have been erased, and families search the ruins for water, for shelter,’ UNRWA said on X, adding that its aid convoys ‘remain blocked’ even as its teams ‘continue to deliver lifesaving assistance.’
This week, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, rejecting Israeli claims that many UNRWA staff are affiliated with Hamas. Israel dismissed the ruling with US backing.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, 68,280 Palestinians have been killed and more than 170,000 wounded in Israeli strikes over the past two years.
The World Health Organisation has warned that thousands of patients remain trapped in Gaza awaiting evacuation for treatment, as the enclave continues to face starvation and collapse under the ongoing siege.
