Israel is preparing to implement what officials describe as the next phase of President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan, a strategy designed to separate Palestinian civilians from Hamas while allowing the IDF to continue military operations across much of the Strip.

Rather than focusing solely on eliminating Hamas fighters, the plan aims to dismantle the organization’s ability to govern. Israeli officials believe Hamas cannot survive as Gaza’s ruling force if it loses control of the civilian population, humanitarian aid, and territory at the same time.

According to Israeli media reports, the first humanitarian zone will be established in Tel al Sultan, west of Rafah, an area now largely under Israeli military control. Civilians who pass security screening and are not linked to Hamas will gradually be relocated there, where they will receive food, medical care, shelter, and other humanitarian assistance.

Unlike previous aid distribution systems that Israel says Hamas repeatedly exploited, these new areas would be administered by the Trump administration backed Board of Peace and secured by an International Stabilization Force, or ISF, made up of foreign personnel rather than Israeli soldiers. Israeli officials argue this creates a civilian alternative to Hamas without requiring Israel to directly govern Gaza.

The reported plan is part of the broader 20 point peace initiative unveiled by the Trump administration, which calls for Gaza to eventually be governed by a Palestinian technocratic administration under international supervision, with Hamas excluded from any future governing role. Demilitarization remains one of the plan’s central requirements.

According to reports, infrastructure for the first humanitarian zone is already taking shape. A base for the International Stabilization Force has reportedly been completed, while logistics sites and supply warehouses are being prepared ahead of deployment. Images recently released by the Board of Peace showed tactical vehicles arriving at one of the logistics facilities, suggesting preparations are entering their final stages.

Israeli officials describe the military strategy as a “pincer movement.”

As humanitarian zones expand under international supervision, the IDF would continue capturing and securing additional areas outside those zones. Israeli planners believe this gradually leaves Hamas with fewer places to operate, fewer civilians under its influence, and fewer resources to sustain its military campaign.

From Israel’s perspective, this addresses one of the central lessons of October 7.

Israeli security officials have argued that Hamas functions as more than a terrorist army. It also serves as Gaza’s governing authority, controlling aid distribution, taxation, policing, local administration, and much of civilian life. Destroying tunnels and eliminating fighters, they argue, does not automatically remove Hamas from power if the organization continues controlling the population.

The new strategy attempts to break that connection.

Instead of aid flowing through networks that Israel says Hamas has repeatedly diverted, humanitarian assistance would increasingly be distributed inside internationally managed zones where residents are screened before entry. Israeli officials believe this reduces Hamas’s ability to confiscate supplies, recruit fighters, and use humanitarian assistance as leverage over civilians.

The proposal also reflects Israel’s broader objective of avoiding a permanent military administration over Gaza.

Following months of fighting, Israeli leaders have repeatedly stated they do not want Hamas to remain in power, but they also do not want Israel to resume governing Gaza’s civilian population. The humanitarian zones are intended to create an alternative governing structure while allowing the IDF to maintain freedom of action against Hamas elsewhere.

Military operations are expected to continue throughout the process.

Israeli officials have indicated that targeted strikes against Hamas commanders, weapons depots, tunnel networks, and launch sites will continue as long as the organization refuses to disarm. Israeli media reported that Jerusalem intends to maintain sustained military pressure while attempting to limit international fallout through precision operations rather than large scale assaults.

The proposal has already generated significant criticism internationally. Critics argue the controlled humanitarian zones could amount to long term displacement or place excessive restrictions on civilian movement. Others have questioned the legal structure of the Board of Peace and the powers granted to the international force.

Israeli officials reject those characterizations, arguing that the alternative is allowing Hamas to rebuild its military and political control over Gaza once again.

For Israel, the objective extends beyond winning battles.

The goal is to leave Hamas without territory to govern, without access to humanitarian aid, without control over civilians, and ultimately without the ability to function as Gaza’s ruling authority.

Whether the plan succeeds will depend on several factors, including the willingness of Palestinians to relocate into the humanitarian zones, the effectiveness of the multinational force, and continued international support for the Board of Peace.

But from Israel’s perspective, the strategy marks a significant shift. Instead of trying to eliminate Hamas solely through military force, the new phase seeks to dismantle the system that has allowed the organization to survive for nearly 2 decades.