Gaza risks permanent partition between Israel and Hamas as Trump plan falters

A de facto partition of Gaza between an area controlled by Israel and another ruled by Hamas is increasingly likely, multiple sources said, with efforts to advance US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war beyond a ceasefire faltering.

Six European officials with direct knowledge of the efforts to implement the next phase of the plan told Reuters it was effectively stalled and that reconstruction now appeared likely to be limited to the Israeli-controlled area.

That could lead to years of separation, they warned.

Under the first stage of the plan, which took effect on October 10, the Israeli military currently controls 53 per cent of the Mediterranean territory, including much of its farmland, along with Rafah in the south, parts of Gaza City and other urban areas.

Nearly all Gaza’s 2 million people are crammed into tent camps and the rubble of shattered cities across the rest of Gaza, which is under Hamas control.

Drone footage shot in November showed cataclysmic destruction in the northeast of Gaza City after Israel’s final assault before the ceasefire, following months of prior bombardments. The area is now split between Israeli and Hamas control.

The next stage of the plan foresees Israel withdrawing further from the so-called yellow line agreed under Trump’s plan, alongside the establishment of a transitional authority to govern Gaza, the deployment of a multinational security force meant to take over from the Israeli military, the disarmament of Hamas and the start of reconstruction.