The US is preparing for a long-term division of Gaza into a “green zone” under Israeli and international military control, where reconstruction would begin, and a “red zone” left in ruins, which will be home to the Palestinian population.
Foreign forces will initially deploy alongside Israeli troops in eastern Gaza, effectively maintaining the divide created by the current Israeli-controlled “yellow line.”
The US plans raise doubts about Washington’s commitment to transforming last month’s ceasefire into a lasting political settlement with Palestinian governance across Gaza, a goal promised by Donald.
Trump. Gaza’s future has been subject to rapidly shifting proposals that reflect a chaotic and improvised approach to resolving the conflict and providing essential aid to 2 million Palestinians. After weeks of US advocacy for fenced-in “alternative safe communities” as a reconstruction model, that concept was abandoned this week, according to a US official.
Humanitarian organisations that had expressed strong concerns about the ASC model said they had not yet been informed of the change. Without a viable plan for an international peacekeeping force, Israeli troop withdrawal, and large-scale rebuilding, Gaza risks falling into a prolonged limbo after two years of catastrophic military destruction by Israel.
Mediators have warned of a state “not war but not peace,” marked by continued Israeli attacks, entrenched occupation, absent Palestinian self-rule, and minimal reconstruction. The US hopes the creation of an international stabilisation force, central to Trump’s 20-point plan, will be authorised by a UN security council resolution expected next week, but Trump has ruled out deploying US soldiers or financing rebuilding, prompting diplomats to note that Washington wants to define the vision without paying for it.