Israel has made clear that reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip will not begin until Hamas is fully disarmed, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday.
Netanyahu’s office also denied reports that Israel had agreed to the deployment of an international force in Gaza, according to Israeli media.
The statements come as efforts to implement US President Donald Trump’s roadmap for Gaza remain stalled, despite Trump describing the process in late July as a “breakthrough.”
Hamas has said it accepted the roadmap but linked its implementation to an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to Israeli military operations. Israel, however, has maintained that reconstruction cannot begin before Hamas is fully disarmed.
US Plans More Than $206 Million for Gaza Stabilization Force
Separately, the Trump administration has notified Congress of plans to allocate more than $206 million to support a proposed international stabilization force in Gaza, representing the first major US funding commitment under the administration’s plan to rebuild the war-damaged territory.
According to Reuters, two notifications dated July 30 said the US State Department would provide $200 million for equipment, infrastructure, vehicles and operational expenses for the proposed International Stabilization Force.
An additional $6.3 million would be allocated to repurpose US armored vehicles for the force.
The State Department said the proposed force would take the lead in security operations, support efforts to disarm armed groups and help secure the delivery of humanitarian aid and reconstruction materials into Gaza. However, its final composition and structure remain under negotiation.
Trump’s Gaza Plan
Trump previously established a “Board of Peace” to oversee his plan to end the war and rebuild Gaza.
The roadmap also calls for an international force to secure areas from which Israeli troops withdraw, train new Palestinian police units and help facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
The competing positions over disarmament, Israeli withdrawal and the deployment of international forces remain key obstacles to implementing the proposed framework for Gaza’s post-war security and reconstruction.
