A Gaza recovery plan backed by US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace (BoP) has been significantly reduced in scope. The ambitious proposal has been scaled back from a territory-wide reconstruction plan to a small pilot project in southern Gaza, according to The Guardian.
The revised plan now focuses on setting up a temporary settlement for a small number of displaced Palestinians, instead of undertaking a territory-wide reconstruction effort. Even this scaled-down project is unlikely to be operational before the end of the year.
Pilot project yet to begin
The proposal includes a temporary camp, a Palestinian civil administration, a police force and an International Stabilization Force (ISF) to provide security. A small contingent of officers from Morocco and Kosovo has arrived in Israel as part of the ISF for the pilot camp's security, which is expected to provide security for the pilot camp.
However, work on the proposed pilot camp near Rafah in southern Gaza has yet to begin, while construction of the ISF support base is also pending.
Satellite imagery reportedly shows distributed land near the proposed site, with no new infrastructure in place. The project is unlikely to see significant progress before Israel's October 27 elections, which could determine the future of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition government.
Political uncertainty slows progress
The report said Israel has repeatedly violated the ceasefire since it was declared last October, preventing reconstruction work and imposing severe restrictions on humanitarian aid entering Gaza. Diplomats believe a change in Israel's government could improve prospects for the project, although there is no certainty that a new administration would adopt a different approach.
A diplomat in Jerusalem said the BoP had little option but to present the limited progress positively, as acknowledging failure could strengthen extreme factions in the Israeli government pushing alternative plans for Gaza.
Concerns over renewed conflict
Concerns are growing that Netanyahu could launch a fresh large-scale military offensive in Gaza ahead of Israel's elections as he faces the risk of electoral defeat. Since the ceasefire, Israeli strikes have reportedly killed more than 1,100 Palestinians, while Israeli forces have expanded their control over large parts of Gaza. A renewed full-scale conflict could also derail the BoP's limited pilot project in Gaza.
Disarmament talks continue
Israeli officials have maintained that renewed fighting is likely unless Hamas agrees to disarm. Hamas has said it is open to disarmament under certain conditions and participated in talks in Cairo over the weekend on possible mechanisms on possible disarmament mechanisms.
The discussions reportedly focused on the disarmament of Hamas and Israeli-backed militias in Gaza, including how surrendered weapons would be collected, stored and managed. However, reports from Cairo indicated that progress remained unlikely as Israeli airstrikes continued and troops advanced further into Hamas-controlled areas.
A Palestinian source told Haaretz that meaningful negotiations would not be possible unless Israel committed to a gradual withdrawal from Gaza and changes on the ground.
