The U.S.-backed Board of Peace will soon launch a pilot project to manage humanitarian shelter centers in areas of Gaza not under Hamas control, Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom reported Tuesday, citing unnamed sources.
The Tel al-Sultan area near Rafah will be the first destination, directing civilians there, especially those "who have no ties to Hamas."
The multinational force, known as the International Stabilization Force (ISF) and led by the Board of Peace, will be deployed to the area as a central component of the project.
The force will be stationed at the Israeli Amitai Camp on the outskirts of Gaza. The ISF will reportedly use non-lethal weapons to maintain order within these so-called humanitarian zones, while the Israeli military consolidates its presence beyond the so-called "Yellow Line."
Board of Peace officials have said that concrete will not be used for reconstruction in managed areas, instead opting for mobile housing units and installing medical as well as other essential services for residents. The plan, according to Israel Hayom, is expected to allow the Israeli military to continue expanding control over Gaza.
Also Tuesday, the Board of Peace announced the arrival of “tactical vehicles” at the Logistics Support Area: Endurance, supporting ISF deployment preparations near the Gaza Strip. Photos documenting the arrival were shared on X, formerly Twitter.
"The first tactical vehicles have arrived at a base near Kerem Shalom (southern enclave) set to house the International Stabilization Force that will operate in Gaza," Israel-based i24news correspondent Ariel Oseran said on X, citing the Board of Peace.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem posted on Facebook that the group hopes the Board’s moves mark "the beginning of implementing the tasks assigned to them," including separating Palestinian civilians from Israeli forces and curbing reported Israeli violations.
"We call on the Board of Peace to begin the actual implementation of the provisions of the plan to end the war on Gaza," Qassem said, urging the introduction of a national committee to oversee the enclave, the provision of “real relief,” an Israeli withdrawal, and the launch of reconstruction efforts.
"Reconstruction is a fundamental right for all our people wherever they are in the Gaza Strip," he added.
Meanwhile, a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo Tuesday for talks with Egyptian officials and international mediators about implementing the Gaza cease-fire agreement.
The Board of Peace was established in January on the initiative of former President Donald Trump as part of efforts to reach a peaceful settlement in Gaza.
The board’s first meeting on Gaza convened on Feb. 19 at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., under Trump’s leadership.
The initiative is part of phase two of Trump’s 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza, backed by a U.N. Security Council resolution from November.
The first phase of the cease-fire agreement included a temporary truce and prisoner exchange between Israel and Palestinian factions, a permanent cease-fire and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Despite the agreement, Israel has been repeatedly accused of violating its terms.
With U.S. support, Israel launched a genocidal war in Gaza in October 2023, killing more than 73,000 Palestinians and injuring over 173,000, most of them women and children, according to Palestinian figures.
