Trump’s Board of Peace Shrinks Gaza Plan to Rafah Pilot for Tens of Thousands
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 16
Trump’s Board of Peace Shrinks Gaza Plan to Rafah Pilot for Tens of Thousands
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 16
Summary
A Rafah pilot camp for tens of thousands has replaced the Board of Peace’s original whole-of-Gaza recovery blueprint, and officials now say even that reduced scheme is unlikely before December.
Israeli restrictions have stalled nearly every operational step: camp construction has not begun, Palestinian police training in Egypt has not started, and Israel has not approved requests for aid easing or entry of the planned force.
A few Moroccan and Kosovar officers have reached Israel as the nucleus of a 5,000-strong International Stabilization Force, while a logistics base at Kerem Shalom is nearing completion.
The delay is tied partly to Israel’s 27 October election, with diplomats fearing Benjamin Netanyahu could escalate the war before the vote; Israeli forces already occupy more than 60% of Gaza.
The retreat from January’s 100-day, territory-wide reconstruction promise leaves funding uncertain despite $17 billion once pledged, and has drawn Palestinian and Israeli criticism that a narrow pilot could entrench fragmentation.
With a new Gaza war looming, can diplomacy succeed before Israel’s October election alters the political landscape?
Is the Gaza pilot project a path to recovery or a blueprint for the territory's permanent division?
The Board of Peace Plan for Gaza: Critical Obstacles, Humanitarian Fallout, and Geopolitical Tensions Nine Months After the 2025 Ceasefire
Overview
As of July 2026, the Trump Board of Peace plan for Gaza stands at a critical crossroads, with its ambitious post-war reconstruction efforts remaining almost entirely on paper. Nine months after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire ended the Gaza War, the plan is languishing due to immediate obstacles, most notably Israel’s delay in deploying the international force needed to establish a new refugee camp in Rafah. This delay has stalled operational progress, leaving the Board’s vision for rebuilding Gaza and transitioning to a new administration unrealized, and highlighting the fragile and uncertain future of the peace initiative.