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U.S. Plan Splits Gaza in Two - One Zone Controlled by Israel, One by Hamas
(Wall Street Journal) Dov Lieber - The U.S. and Israel are considering a plan that would divide Gaza into separate zones controlled by Israel and Hamas, with reconstruction only taking place on the Israeli side until Hamas can be disarmed and removed from power. On Tuesday in Israel, Vice President JD Vance said there are two regions in Gaza, one relatively safe and the other incredibly dangerous, and the goal is to expand the area that is safe. Presidential advisor Jared Kushner said no funds for reconstruction would go to areas that remain under Hamas control, and the focus would be on building up the safe side. The U.S.-brokered ceasefire that took effect Oct. 10 drew a yellow line on the map that marks the Israeli military's area of control. It is essentially a thick cushion hugging Gaza's borders and surrounding the area of Palestinian control. The Israeli zone is supposed to shrink as various benchmarks are hit. The administration had considered rebuilding areas that Hamas didn't control even before the ceasefire, in hopes it would improve conditions for Palestinians and serve as a symbol of a post-Hamas Gaza, officials said. The plan to build up Israeli-controlled areas in Gaza could weaken Hamas politically while enabling Israel's military to conduct operations that further erode the group's ability to fight, said Ofer Guterman, a senior researcher at the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies. "It's doable and optimal," Guterman said of the plan.