Netanyahu to present Trump with a new plan for Gaza if Hamas refuses to disarm
Israeli sources revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will present U.S. President Donald Trump with a proposal to expand areas under Israeli control in the Gaza Strip if Hamas refuses to give up its weapons.
According to Trump’s plan, international stabilization forces would be deployed in areas from which the Israeli army withdraws, as a prelude to reconstruction. However, Netanyahu proposes that reconstruction begin gradually in areas currently controlled by the Israeli army, with these zones later being expanded to cover about two-thirds of the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli daily Maariv wrote: “Ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with President Donald Trump, a strategic understanding is taking shape between Israel and the United States: reconstruction of the Gaza Strip will begin only in the areas currently under Israeli military control, within what is known as the ‘yellow line’. Later, as Hamas continues to refuse to disarm — something that is widely expected — the rebuilt area will gradually expand to cover around 75 percent of the Strip.”
The paper added: “According to informed sources, Israel and the United States agree that it is not feasible to wait for Hamas to disarm as a precondition for launching reconstruction. At the same time, there is no intention to allow reconstruction in areas controlled by the movement. Therefore, the alternative under consideration is to immediately start civil, economic, and infrastructure reconstruction only in the area where the Israeli army is currently deployed, which today constitutes about 53 percent of the Strip, while adopting a gradual plan that expands the ‘yellow line’ to encompass nearly three-quarters of Gaza.”
It continued: “Under the proposed concept, reconstruction in the Gaza Strip will not begin all at once, but will proceed in phases. At first, residential areas, infrastructure, health services, and food supplies will be established in the zones under Israeli military control. These will become centers of stability, rebuilding, and improved quality of life, while the areas controlled by Hamas will remain destroyed, lacking infrastructure, and dependent on limited external aid.”
The paper noted: “Israel expects this situation to increase internal pressure within the Strip. Civilians will prefer to move into the rebuilt areas, while Hamas-controlled zones will gradually empty and remain populated mainly by members of the movement. In this way, without an official warning or deadline, a dynamic will emerge that encourages the gradual expansion of the reconstruction area and, consequently, the extension of Israeli military control.”
It added: “The ‘yellow line’ will also be expanded, according to the plan, through limited military operations when necessary, without returning to large-scale warfare. Israel believes that Hamas is currently unable to stop the progress being made by the Israeli army. Any expansion will first be accompanied by engineering and security operations focused mainly on locating and destroying tunnels, before the launch of civilian reconstruction work.”
At the same time, “Israeli officials clarify that there is no intention to replace the presence of the Israeli army with an international stabilization force. As long as Hamas remains in the Strip, even in a limited area, no foreign force will intervene to restrict Israeli military activity. Accordingly, the reconstruction process will be managed by an international body led by the United States and in full coordination with Israel, relying on local civilian actors — while security responsibility will remain with the Israeli army.”
The article continues: “Well-informed sources stress that this is neither annexation nor the creation of new borders, but rather a model of a ‘new Gaza’ built under continued Israeli military control. Under the emerging understandings, as long as Hamas does not hand over its weapons, there will be no Israeli withdrawal. On the contrary, the rebuilt areas under Israeli control will gradually expand until they cover the vast majority of the Strip.”
And it concludes: “The message Netanyahu is expected to convey to Trump is clear: Israel is ready to move forward with the reconstruction phase, but only on the condition that Hamas is prevented from remaining, rebuilding, or benefiting from the process.”
