US urges Israel to allow Gaza reconstruction without Hamas disarmament – report

The Trump administration is reportedly pressing Israel to permit large-scale reconstruction work in parts of the Gaza Strip despite Hamas refusing complete disarmament.

By World Israel News Staff

The United States has asked Israel to approve a written set of commitments that would allow parts of Gaza’s reconstruction and postwar governance plan to move forward even before Hamas agrees to fully disarm, according to an Israeli report, marking a significant push by Washington to prevent the fragile ceasefire from collapsing into renewed full-scale war.

The memorandum, first reported by Kan News, calls on Israel to permit infrastructure, water, electricity and other rebuilding work in designated areas of the Strip, while also committing to move civilians from Hamas-controlled zones into areas administered by the US-backed Peace Council by the end of the year.

The document reportedly asks Israel to authorize construction of a headquarters for Gaza’s planned technocratic government, approve bases for an International Stabilization Force, and allow the European Hospital to be restored through the entry of construction materials, medical equipment and laboratories.

It also calls for a secure access corridor to the hospital and the transfer of Palestinian Authority tax revenues linked to Gaza to the Peace Council.

The proposal would further require Israel to begin treating the technocratic administration as Gaza’s governing authority, including by handing it control over the Palestinian sides of the Kerem Shalom and Rafah crossings, permitting official movement by its members, allowing digital payments and fuel distribution, approving 4G cellular service and offering conditional amnesty to those who surrender weapons and commit to peace.

In exchange, the Peace Council would take charge of Gaza’s supply chain, fuel distribution and payment systems, a step intended to sharply reduce Hamas’s ability to collect taxes and maintain governing power.

Security and public order would be handled by an international force and an unarmed Palestinian civilian guard, while Israel would retain the right to act militarily if Hamas refuses to disarm.

The reported US demand reflects growing frustration in Washington with the prolonged stalemate over the second phase of President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan.

The plan envisions Hamas relinquishing its weapons and transferring authority to a Palestinian technocratic administration, with security responsibilities gradually moving from the IDF to Palestinian and multinational forces operating under the international Board of Peace.

But Hamas has continued to resist the central disarmament demand, arguing that it should not be expected to carry out phase-two obligations while Israel has not fully implemented phase-one commitments, including broader humanitarian aid, troop withdrawals, the reopening of Gaza’s main crossings and a halt to strikes inside the Strip.

A source familiar with recent disarmament talks told The Times of Israel earlier this month that Hamas’s latest response was not a formal rejection but “in practice it looks much closer to a no.”

The source said Hamas was “still trying to avoid the core requirement, which is clear disarmament,” adding: “Hamas has to lay down its weapons. If they are trying to condition this on Israeli withdrawal first, keep weapons under their influence, or change the sequencing, then it does not meet the standard.”

At the same time, the source said the US-backed initiative would not remain frozen indefinitely.

“The Board of Peace is not waiting around for Hamas,” the source said. “It is continuing to advance the plan, including [the technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza] governance, stabilization, and reconstruction in areas that can be secured free of Hamas control.”

That approach appears to match the new memorandum reported by Kan, which would allow reconstruction to begin in zones outside Hamas control while leaving Israel room to act if the group refuses to disarm.

Israeli officials have previously insisted that Gaza’s reconstruction cannot proceed before Hamas is dismantled as an armed force.

The Board of Peace’s implementation track has been slowed by both Hamas’s refusal to give up its weapons and Israeli restrictions on the entry and operation of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, the Palestinian technocratic body selected to replace Hamas in day-to-day governance.

The committee has remained in Cairo since January, holding planning meetings and training sessions rather than entering the Strip.

The Times of Israel reported last week that the Board of Peace has already issued more than a dozen requests for proposals for contractors to clear rubble, remove unexploded ordnance, destroy Hamas tunnels, build temporary housing, hospitals and schools, and install bases for Gaza police and the International Stabilization Force. Four countries have reportedly agreed to contribute troops to the force, though deployment is not expected before Israel’s fall election.

A Board of Peace official said temporary housing projects, beginning with an Emirati-backed project in Rafah, were moving ahead regardless of whether Hamas accepts the disarmament proposal. But the same official acknowledged that permanent housing would not proceed without Hamas agreeing to give up its weapons.

The initiative is also facing scrutiny over the legal powers the Board of Peace may seek for itself in Gaza.

The Guardian reported that a draft resolution would grant broad immunity to the board, its Office of the High Representative, Palestinian technocrats, international military forces and contractors, while allowing the organization to obtain public facilities in Gaza “free of charge.”

A Board of Peace official denied that the process was designed to create impunity, saying, “There is no operative resolution or immunity framework of the kind described in your questions.”