Six months after Trump’s ceasefire in Gaza

Optimistic plans to improve the enclave’s security, provide reconstruction and humanitarian aid, and establish a more permanent governance structure in Gaza are being blocked by diplomatic disagreements over Hamas disarmament and an increasingly distracted Trump administration, diplomats say.

“Once the war ended, with Hamas accepting the ceasefire and the hostages being released, that was the priority of the American administration,” said Bishara Bahbah, a Palestinian-American businessman close to the Trump administration and regularly briefed on the negotiations. “Then came the war in Iran and no one talks about Gaza. »

A board official acknowledged that “life remains very difficult in Gaza and more must be done to meet urgent civilian needs.” The official disputed that negotiations had not progressed and that “distraction among our key member states is hampering our work.”

The official, who spoke on behalf of the board on condition of anonymity, did not say what progress had been made in the negotiations.

“We are pushing for a rapid agreement on the full and sequential implementation of the road map for the decommissioning of weapons in Gaza, the deployment of the International Stabilization Force, the transition of authority to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza and the withdrawal of Israeli forces,” the official added.

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Within the Israeli movement advocating for resettlement in Gaza

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A State Department official told NBC News on Friday that U.S. leadership and “focused negotiations” had improved humanitarian “access” to Gaza.

Reconstruction, however, depended on Hamas laying down its arms, as outlined in Trump’s 20-point plan, which the group agreed to as part of the ceasefire.

“Anything short of full demilitarization jeopardizes the recovery of Gaza, Israel’s security and regional stability,” the official added.

Humanitarian agencies agree that the situation in Gaza has improved since the ceasefire: deaths and injuries from Israeli attacks and reports of famine conditions have decreased, but both continue to haunt the Gaza Strip’s more than 2 million residents, most of whom are now homeless.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, parts of which are still controlled by Hamas, said 784 people had been killed by Israeli attacks since the ceasefire took effect in October. The International Rescue Committee reported this week that around 77% of Gaza’s population is expected to face acute food insecurity this year.

Aid agencies say Israeli security restrictions have tied their hands, creating difficult security barriers that have limited the flow of aid.

“We are not going beyond immediate basic humanitarian needs,” said Sam Rose, acting director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza. “People live in absolute poverty, in fetid and rancid conditions by the beach, on barren land, in a completely undignified manner. »

COGAT, the Israeli military unit responsible for humanitarian coordination in the Palestinian territories, said claims about continued misery in Gaza are biased and “promoted by interested parties seeking to create a false impression of a crisis in the Gaza Strip as part of an effort to discredit Israel.”

UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, is the principal United Nations agency responsible for providing services and assistance to Palestinians throughout the Middle East. Israel has accused hundreds of UNRWA employees in Gaza of working with terrorist groups and banned the organization from operating in Israel in 2024, preventing its foreign personnel and aid from entering the enclave.