US & Israel Back Controversial Plan to Divide Gaza, Propose 'Safe Communities' Amid Reconstruction Concerns
Nov 27, 2025
Palestinian Territory Occupied
Middle East Conflict
Palestinian Territory Occupied
Middle East Conflict
The US backs an Israeli plan to divide Gaza into zones, proposing 'alternative safe communities' for displaced Palestinians. Reconstruction is eyed for Israeli-
US & Israel Propose Controversial Gaza Division and 'Safe Communities' Amid Reconstruction Crisis
The United States Department of State has confirmed its endorsement of a plan to establish "alternative safe communities" (ASCs) within the Gaza Strip. This initiative signals a potential US-Israeli strategy to effectively divide the Palestinian enclave into distinct zones, with the stated aim of providing rapid, secure accommodation for its displaced residents, as conveyed by a State Department spokesperson to Al Jazeera on November 27, 2025.
Gaza's Proposed Partition: Green vs. Red Zones
The ASC concept is integral to wider discussions that envision Gaza being partitioned into two primary areas: a "green zone" under Israeli control and a "red zone" managed by the Palestinian group Hamas. While specific operational details are still evolving and lack clarity, reports from various outlets, including The New York Times, indicate that any significant reconstruction efforts would be exclusively confined to Israeli-controlled territories.
This critical distinction means that areas currently home to the vast majority of Gaza’s estimated 2.2 million inhabitants – including Gaza City and central regions like Deir el-Balah – would likely not see rebuilding, despite the dire humanitarian situation and immense destruction they face.
A US State Department spokesperson affirmed that addressing the immediate need for secure housing in Gaza is a "central concern," stating that US efforts are "directed toward rebuilding in those parts of Gaza where the majority of the population currently resides." However, ambiguity persists regarding whether this commitment extends to non-Israeli-controlled areas under the ASC framework, or if it implies an expectation for the population to migrate to Israeli-managed zones.
Alternative Safe Communities: A Closer Look
The proposed ASCs are envisioned as compounds capable of housing between 20,000 and 25,000 people in container-sized units, similar to those deployed in disaster relief scenarios. A significant challenge remains how such compounds could be adequately expanded to accommodate Gaza's entire Palestinian population.
Hussein, a Palestinian from Gaza City, expressed deep skepticism regarding the feasibility of these plans. "If they [the US and Israel] could establish a proper situation, people might move there, but it’s not feasible," he remarked. "What are they going to establish, with what infrastructure? It would need water, electricity. It would take years."
The Unprecedented Devastation and Looming Costs
Gaza has endured catastrophic destruction. Over 69,700 Palestinians have been killed since the war began. Even after a ceasefire officially commenced on October 10, periodic Israeli attacks persist, claiming an additional 347 lives. Approximately 1.9 million people in Gaza are displaced, many having been forced to flee multiple times.
A staggering 92 percent of Gaza’s housing stock has been damaged or reduced to rubble, leaving hundreds of thousands to live in tents – a particularly precarious situation with winter approaching. This widespread destruction is a direct result of Israeli air strikes, shelling, and a systematic campaign of deliberate demolition.
Officials cited in The New York Times indicate that the first ASC compound is still months away from completion. Israeli soldiers are expected to commence clearing an area around the remains of Rafah soon, but this work could be delayed by the presence of tunnels, unexploded ordnance, or human remains. Initial estimates from those involved in the project place the cost for just the first compound in the tens of millions of dollars. The overall reconstruction of Gaza, however, is projected to cost at least $70 billion and span several decades.
The Unanswered Question of Funding
The source of funding for Gaza's extensive reconstruction remains unclear, as does who will bear the cost of the proposed ASCs. Reports suggest the administration of US President Donald Trump has ruled out financing their construction, while Israeli politicians have yet to confirm their final position. Both the US State Department spokesperson and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office declined to comment on funding specifics.
Humanitarian Principles and Exclusion Concerns
US ambitions appear to hinge on the belief that access to development, security, and services within the Israeli-controlled "green zone" would draw Palestinians. However, a major complication is the existing heavy restrictions on Palestinian access to this zone, a situation likely to continue.
The New York Times reported that Israeli security services would likely conduct background checks on Palestinians seeking shelter in the new compounds, granting Israel effective veto power over who is admitted. European diplomats have voiced concern that the eventual criteria could exclude large numbers of Palestinians, including civil servants (like police and medical staff) who have worked under Hamas’s 18-year administration, as well as their family members.
Aid agencies firmly oppose the idea of providing aid selectively to people in specific areas while excluding others, asserting it violates fundamental humanitarian principles. Tamara Alrifai, Director of External Relations for the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), emphasized, "We deliver aid where people are... We don’t provide services where we’d like people to be. That goes against the entire philosophy of aid and development." She added, "This is about delivering the services people need to where the people are, not creating an artificial village and imposing what services you think people need onto them."
Echoes of Partition and Shrunken Space
Arab and European officials, alongside organizations like Refugees International, have expressed apprehension that dividing Gaza into "red" and "green" zones could pave the way for a permanent partition. Comparisons have been drawn to the occupations of Baghdad and Kabul, where "green zones" effectively became Western enclaves.
The concept of dividing Gaza is not entirely new. In April, Prime Minister Netanyahu himself spoke of plans to "divide up" Gaza by establishing a new Israeli-controlled security corridor between Rafah and Khan Younis. More recently, in September, hardline Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich controversially described Gaza as a "real estate bonanza," stating he was already in talks with Americans about its post-war division. Smotrich and other settler leaders have consistently called for the creation of illegal Israeli settlements in Gaza and the forced displacement of the Palestinian population – actions that would amount to ethnic cleansing.
Yossi Mekelberg of Chatham House critically questioned the viability of such division: "How can you divide it? You can’t squeeze 2 million people into a space even smaller than that which they’re already in." He stressed the importance of Palestinian involvement: "Imposing an Israeli or American solution onto Gaza just isn’t going to work. If you’re going to even try to achieve something lasting, you need to begin with an understanding of Gaza’s history, culture and trauma. Palestinians need to be part of any settlement, or it’s never going to be stable."
Palestinian Voices: Unheard and Unreassured
For the Palestinian population in Gaza, reeling from years of assaults and displacement, news of US and Israeli plans for their future offers little comfort or reassurance. As Hussein eloquently put it: "No one has talked to us. No one has thought about what people here need. What about people’s homes and land? Do they just give them up to go and live in a container?"
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