The US-controlled panel overseeing the postwar management of Gaza was hoping to establish such humanitarian zones months ago but had been hoping to first coax Hamas to give up its weapons to allow reconstruction to proceed at a much greater scale.<\/p>\n
\t Disarmament talks have dragged on for months, though, with Hamas insisting that Israel first adhere to the terms of the ceasefire reached in October. Israel says it is responding to violations by Hamas.<\/p>\n Unwilling to condition relief for Gaza on those negotiations, the Board of Peace wants to move ahead with establishing the first humanitarian pilot zone, and its leadership discussed the idea at a meeting in Cyprus<\/a> last week, according to an official from the body.<\/p>\n But the plan remains on paper, as it still requires approval from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s government, which is unlikely to authorize even the smallest of IDF withdrawals as the fall parliamentary elections approach.<\/p>\n While a Board of Peace official said there is ongoing dialogue with Israel about the plan, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel there would be no IDF withdrawals from Gaza until Hamas agrees to disarm.<\/p>\n Moreover, by dragging its feet in signing off on Status of Forces Agreements (SOFA) with ISF contributing countries \u2014 necessary for establishing the legal guardrails of foreign military personnel stationed abroad \u2014 Israel has prevented the international force from deploying, a senior Arab official said.<\/p>\n \t NCAG not on board<\/p>\n The plan also assumes that the Palestinian technocratic panel \u2014 the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) \u2014 will be willing to enter the Strip under such conditions.<\/p>\n Board of Peace officials maintain that Palestinians will be allowed to enter and exit the humanitarian zone and that they will not be under Israeli occupation.<\/p>\n But a source familiar with the matter said NCAG members are not on board with the plan, deeming that the humanitarian zone would still effectively be controlled by the IDF, which will be present on its outskirts.<\/p>\n The source likened the proposed dynamic to the one at aid distribution sites run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) during the war. While Israeli soldiers weren\u2019t present at those sites, they repeatedly opened fire on Palestinians trying to make their way to them.<\/p>\n The source said NCAG members don\u2019t want to legitimize the division of the Strip. The October ceasefire saw Gaza roughly divided in half by a \u201cYellow Line,\u201d with Israel left in control of the eastern half. But as disarmament talks stalled in May, Netanyahu ordered troops to occupy 70 percent of the Strip, pushing the Yellow Line toward the coast and further shrinking the area where some 2 million Palestinians are largely living in tattered tent camps.<\/p>\n \t The source familiar with the matter pointed to the fact that the Board of Peace has not given a concrete timeline for the rollout of the humanitarian zone as proof that its implementation is not imminent.<\/p>\n For their part, the Board of Peace official denied that the NCAG opposes the humanitarian zone pilot plan, insisting that the technocratic panel\u2019s leadership is fully on board and coordinating with the relevant bodies to see it through.<\/p>\n Mere pressure tactics<\/p>\n Nonetheless, disarmament talks have continued, with the senior Arab official claiming that Hamas has softened some of its positions in recent weeks.<\/p>\n However, the official said that the maximum that Hamas is willing to offer in terms of a gradual handover of its weapons won\u2019t meet the minimum that Israel is willing to accept. Accordingly, the Arab official reiterated<\/a> that progress was unlikely until after Israel\u2019s elections in October.<\/p>\n While Hamas may be reticent to give up its weapons, it would like to see the NCAG enter Gaza and relieve it of its responsibilities to provide services to civilians, the Arab official said, characterizing the terror group\u2019s announcement<\/a> last week that it was dissolving its governing bodies as a tactic to pressure the Board of Peace into softening demands in the disarmament talks.<\/p>\n \t Board of Peace officials subsequently began briefing reporters on the humanitarian zone pilot, which the source familiar with the matter downplayed as a pressure tactic of its own aimed at convincing Hamas that it stands to lose by dragging its feet in disarmament talks.<\/p>\n In the meantime, Israel has vowed to eliminate every terrorist involved in the October 7 onslaught. Daily strikes have been conducted against Hamas operatives, but those nearby have been killed as well, including<\/a> young children and an anti-Hamas aid worker<\/a> in the last several days.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t The war with Iran has been draining for all of us in Israel. But when I heard about a high casualty incident \u2013 ballistic missile impacts in Arad and Dimona that left nearly 200 people wounded \u2013 I drank a cup of coffee, packed a bag, and headed south.<\/p>\n There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.<\/p>\n As a Times of Israel reporter, I\u2019m committed to telling stories of resilience like Shilgit\u2019s. But my colleagues and I can’t do this alone. If you value work like this, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to keep real human reporting like this going.<\/p>\n \u2014 Stav Levaton, military reporter<\/p>\n \t\t\t
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\n\t\tPalestinians look at a destroyed car following an Israeli military strike in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Monday, July 6, 2026, that, according to hospital officials, killed at least one person. (AP\/Mohammad Jahjouh)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26182597608251-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tDisplaced Palestinians walk between tents where they are taking shelter at a makeshift camp in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP\/Abdel Kareem Hana)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Ali-Shaath-e1768716485741-640x400.jpeg\")
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\n\t\tAli Shaath, the top official of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, signs the committee\u2019s mission statement in a photo posted to his X account on January 17, 2026. (Ali Shaath\/X)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26190504499688-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tPalestinians gather around a car hit in an Israeli military strike that, according to health authorities, killed at least one person in Gaza City, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP\/Jehad Alshrafi)<\/p>\n
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