Gaza post-war plans face security and governance hurdles

Plans for post-war Gaza face major security, governance and funding hurdles, even as local and international players prepare for the period after the war.

Security remains central to the proposals. Israel says Hamas must disarm before progress can be made, while Hamas refuses to surrender its weapons before Israeli troops withdraw and a Palestinian governing authority is established.

An official from the Board of Peace, set up by US President Donald Trump to help prepare for post-war Gaza, told AFP that Hamas's disarmament is no longer being treated as a precondition for advancing plans on the ground.

The official said planning is continuing for a pilot “humanitarian zone” in Rafah and for an International Stabilisation Force. The official said Morocco, Kosovo, Albania and Kazakhstan are “really engaged” in that initiative.

A logistical base on the Israeli side of the Kerem Shalom crossing is close to completion and could host an initial rotation of about 500 troops before any deployment into Gaza, the official said.

Plans are also being made for a Palestinian police force, with about 20,000 applications received, the official added. But diplomatic and security sources said the process remains deadlocked. One diplomatic source said training has not begun and Israel has rejected the current recruit list after vetting, arguing in particular that a proposed 5,000-member police force would be too large for Gaza.

Humanitarian needs remain severe. The United Nations estimates reconstruction will take years and require tens of billions of dollars, while construction materials and debris-clearing equipment remain in short supply.

The Board of Peace official said current funding meets present needs, but more would be needed if several humanitarian zones are created.

Governance is also unresolved. Hamas has announced that it intends to hand over administrative responsibilities to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, a body set up by the Board of Peace and made up of Palestinian technocrats for a transitional period.

Several Palestinian and diplomatic sources said Israel has barred the committee from entering Gaza. The future role of the Palestinian Authority, based in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, also remains unsettled.

Despite a ceasefire in place since October 2025, daily violence continues in Gaza as Israeli strikes target what the military says are truce violations by militants from Hamas and other Palestinian groups.