Peace commission talks on the post-war future of Gaza face a funding crisis and warnings about colonial occupation.
Author: Al Jazeera Staff
While the Hamas delegation is holding talks with mediators in Cairo, discussions on the next administrative phase of Gaza are also underway in the Cypriot seaside resort town of Ayia Napa.
Representatives of a US-led Board of Peace – headed by prominent international figures such as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and former UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov – have gathered to develop a roadmap for the devastated enclave.
The primary goal is to isolate Hamas from the Palestinian population and its resources, implementing Article 17 of US President Donald Trump’s plan to end Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, which has claimed more than 73,000 Palestinian lives. But the initiative is already reeling under the weight of financial crises, Israeli political stalemate and legal disputes.
Article 17 and the „catchphrase”
Article 17 of the Trump plan paves the way for what officials call „temporary reconstruction” in areas designated as free from Hamas control. Rather than permanent reconstruction, the plan envisions the establishment of temporary facilities and the provision of health services for civilians settling in these areas.
The Israel Hayom According to reports in the Israeli newspaper, the Peace Commission – which Trump established following the Gaza ceasefire – is set to launch a pilot project in the coming weeks in such a „Hamas-free” area, around Tal as-Sultan in Rafah. The plan is to set up humanitarian shelters for „unarmed” civilians, supervised by an international stabilization force stationed at Camp Amitai on the border. These international forces will be equipped only with batons to maintain public order, while the Israeli army strengthens its presence behind the „Yellow Line” that separates the Israeli-controlled areas of Gaza from the rest.
The strategy effectively allows the Israeli military – with the support of the Peace Committee – to allow reconstruction only in areas under its control. By directing reconstruction, aid distribution and civilian shelters to areas outside Hamas control, Palestinians in Gaza are increasingly able to relocate to these areas, ultimately leaving Hamas „without people, land and resources”.
But the plan is facing fierce opposition within Israel. The Israel Envelope Forum, which represents residents of settlements bordering Gaza, has warned that implementing Article 17 poses a significant strategic risk. The forum argues that any „reconstruction” – even temporary structures – before Hamas’s complete military and political defeat is a strategic mistake, giving the group a golden opportunity to breathe, rebuild tunnel networks and recruit fighters.
A „colonial occupying” authority?
The Cyprus Peace Commission meetings were overshadowed by the The Guardian A leaked draft resolution published by the UN Security Council also shows the body seeking broad legal immunity for its members, forces and contractors, protecting them from potential criminal prosecution in Gaza courts. The document also reportedly outlines efforts to seize public institutions and properties in Gaza without compensation.
Although a Peace Commission official was quick to dismiss the leak as misleading, the revelations caused alarm. Mohanad Mustafa, an expert on Israeli affairs, warned that if the document was authentic, it effectively transformed the Peace Commission into a „colonial occupying authority” rather than an administration dedicated to rescue and reconstruction.
„"This means that any legal violations, crimes or financial corruption committed by members of the Peace Commission would be fully covered by legal immunity," Mustafa told Al Jazeera, adding that seizing public institutions without legal basis violates both local and international law.
Financing collapse and the Israeli veto
Little is known about what goes on behind closed doors in Ayia Napa. Al Jazeera's Cyprus correspondent Mohammed al-Madhoun reported that the Peace Commission meetings are shrouded in such secrecy that even their exact location has not been made public.
There are few signs of the Peace Commission's plan in Gaza, the only visible development being the release of images of vehicles designated for the International Stabilization Force arriving near the Karem Abu Salem (known in Israel as Kerem Shalom) crossing.
Behind the scenes, the Peace Commission is struggling with two huge obstacles:
-
Donors have backed away from $17 billion in pledges made at a donors' conference in February, largely due to the economic fallout from the recent regional war with Iran. Without these funds, the Palestinian technocratic committee tasked with day-to-day administration of Gaza cannot function.
-
The Peace Commission has adopted the Israeli narrative regarding the implementation of the plan. Israel flatly refuses to allow the technocratic commission into Gaza, open the border crossings, or begin reconstruction until Hamas is completely disarmed—down to its military uniforms.
According to Mustafa, Israel is actively obstructing the plan, expanding its occupation to more than 50 percent of Gaza's territory, as required by the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.
Hamas views the Peace Commission's intentions with deep suspicion. Palestinian political analyst Ahmed al-Tanani told Al Jazeera that Hamas recognizes Israel's attempts to exploit the vague text of the ceasefire agreement and demands that the mediators provide real guarantees that humanitarian projects will not become "a cover-up for genocide.".
