Gaza risks permanent division between Israeli and Hamas-controlled zones as Trump’s peace plan falters, with reconstruction limited to occupied areas.
MANAMA: Gaza faces permanent territorial division as efforts to implement the next phase of former US President Donald Trump’s peace plan have effectively stalled.
Multiple European officials confirmed reconstruction will likely be limited to the Israeli-controlled area, potentially creating years of separation.
Under the ceasefire agreement, Israeli military forces currently control 53% of the Mediterranean territory including key farmland and urban areas.
Nearly all of Gaza’s 2 million residents remain crammed into tent camps and ruined cities across the Hamas-controlled remainder of the territory.
The next stage of Trump’s plan envisioned further Israeli withdrawals alongside establishment of a transitional authority and multinational security force.
However, the plan contains no implementation timelines while Hamas refuses to disarm and Israel rejects Palestinian Authority involvement.
“We’re still working out ideas,” Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi acknowledged during a recent security conference in Manama.
Eighteen sources including European officials and a former US official familiar with talks expect the current demarcation line to become a permanent border without American intervention.
The United States has drafted a UN Security Council resolution granting a two-year mandate for transitional arrangements.
Ten diplomats revealed governments remain hesitant to commit troops, particularly if responsibilities extend beyond peacekeeping to direct confrontation with Hamas.
US Vice President JD Vance and Jared Kushner suggested reconstruction could proceed in Israeli-controlled areas even without advancing the peace plan.
Such proposals risk locking the current fragmented reality into long-term division, according to International Crisis Group’s Michael Wahid Hanna.
A State Department spokesperson acknowledged “tremendous progress” while noting more work remains regarding reconstruction limitations.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stated Israel has no intention of reoccupying or governing Gaza permanently.
The military has instead established buffer zones using large yellow cement blocks to demarcate withdrawal lines while building permanent infrastructure.
Israeli military spokesman Nadav Shoshani said soldiers prevent militant crossings and Israel will withdraw further once Hamas meets disarmament conditions.
“Hamas holds their part of the agreement we are ready to move forward,” Shoshani stated.
Hamas has reasserted control in Palestinian areas, providing police security and civil workers while clearing debris from shattered landscapes.
“We really need to fill the vacuum within the Gaza Strip for security,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul warned, noting Hamas resurgence could trigger renewed Israeli operations.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the group stands ready to transfer power to Palestinian technocrats for reconstruction.
“All the regions of Gaza deserve reconstruction equally,” Qassem emphasized.
European officials confirmed discussions about potential Hamas weapon decommissioning under international supervision rather than surrender.
European and Arab states support Palestinian Authority police deployment alongside multinational forces, though Israel opposes any PA involvement.
Six European officials expressed pessimism about plan advancement without major policy shifts from Hamas, Israel, or US pressure on Israel.
“Gaza must not get stuck in a no man’s land between peace and war,” British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper declared in Manama.
Gaza City resident Salah Abu Amr voiced concerns about potential family separations and Israeli vetting for movement between zones.
Reconstruction financing remains uncertain with Gulf nations reluctant to participate without Palestinian Authority involvement and statehood prospects.
Estimated reconstruction costs reach $70 billion amid catastrophic humanitarian conditions with inadequate shelter and near-total aid dependency.
“We cannot have a fragmentation of Gaza,” Jordan’s Safadi insisted. “Gaza is one, and Gaza is part of the occupied Palestinian territory.”
Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin rejected territorial division while affirming PA readiness to assume “full national responsibility.”
“There can be no genuine reconstruction or lasting stability without full Palestinian sovereignty over the territory,” she stated. – Reuters
