The United States is moving forward with plans to establish new communities for Gazans on the Israeli-controlled side of the line dividing the Strip, part of an effort to draw civilians away from Hamas-run areas. U.S. officials say engineering teams have begun surveying and clearing designated sites, though construction has not yet started, The Wall Street Journal reported on Nov. 21.
Gaza has been split roughly in half since the Trump-brokered ceasefire in October. Hamas still controls the western part, where most Gazans live, while Israel maintains control over an area east of the “Yellow Line,” a demarcation line to which Israel withdrew under the ceasefire.
At the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC), a body established as part of the ceasefire and headquartered in Kiryat Gat in southern Israel, the U.S. military is leading a multinational initiative, including representatives from some 40 countries, to stabilize postwar Gaza and develop a longer-term framework for governance and reconstruction. As part of that effort, U.S. engineers are drafting plans for temporary towns intended to provide housing, schools and hospitals for Gazans displaced by the war, the Journal reported. (Read More)
