US planning divided Gaza controlled by troops

The US is planning for the long-term division of Gaza into a “green zone” under Israeli and international military control, where reconstruction would start, and a “red zone” to be left in ruins.

- Emma Graham-Harrison

Foreign forces will initially be deployed alongside Israeli soldiers in the east of Gaza, leaving the devastated territory divided by the current Israeli-controlled "yellow line", according to US military planning documents seen by the Guardian and sources briefed on US plans. "Ideally you would want to make it all whole, right? But that's aspirational," said a US official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "It's going to take some time. It's not going to be easy." The US military plans raise serious questions about Washington's commitment to turning the ceasefire announced last month into an enduring political settlement with Palestinian rule across Gaza, which was promised by the US president, Donald Trump.

Plans for Gaza's future have been shifting at a dizzying rate, reflecting a chaotic, improvised approach to resolve one of the world's most complex and intractable conflicts, and providing aid including food and shelter to 2 million Palestinians.

After weeks in which the US promoted reconstruction in the form of fenced-in camps for small groups of Palestinians, referred to as "alternative safe communities" (ASC), those plans have been dropped this week, the US official said.

"That's a snapshot of a concept that was put forth at a certain time," the US official said. "They've already moved on from that." Humanitarian organisations who have repeatedly raised major concerns about the ASC model said yesterday they had yet to be notified of the change of plans.

Without a workable plan for an international peacekeeping force, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and large-scale rebuilding, Gaza risks slipping into a limbo after two years of devastating war.