Board of Peace Plans Gaza Humanitarian Pilot Without Hamas Deal
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- Board of Peace official said the pilot humanitarian zone is not preconditioned on a deal with Hamas, with secure areas identified that could host tens of thousands of Gazans and scale up goods and services
- Hamas announced on July 6, 2026 that it had dissolved its de facto Gaza government and signaled readiness to hand over to the NCAG; the Board of Peace responded it will be 'guided by actions, not promises'
- Israel dismissed Hamas's move as a 'stunt' and said it will expand its area of control in Gaza to 70% of the enclave, while continuing military strikes on a territory of more than 2 million people facing hunger, disease and displacement
- NCAG technocrats, who have remained outside Gaza, would exercise authority inside the pilot zone alongside a newly recruited police force and a multinational International Stabilization Force, with vetting supported by the ISF on a voluntary basis
- Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the U.S.- and Israeli-backed aid program, was shut down after the ceasefire over criticism from the U.N. and others about deaths of Palestinians at its distribution points
- Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace's Gaza envoy, has been mediating between Hamas, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey on the plan's second phase, but sources close to the talks said no agreement has been reached
Why it matters: The pilot gives Trump's appointed technocrats and a multinational stabilization force a way to operate inside Gaza without waiting for a deadlocked political settlement, reshaping how aid is delivered to 2 million residents. But with Israel planning to control 70% of the territory and continuing strikes, the voluntary, vetted enclave model will be tested against an escalating military footprint rather than a ceasefire.
