Washington "officially" disavows Israel's plan to occupy 70% of Gaza
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed that the Israeli plan to control 70% of the Gaza Strip is not part of President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in the Strip.
This came during his participation in a session of the US House of Representatives subcommittee, on Tuesday evening, June 2, dedicated to discussing the US administration's budget request for the fiscal year 2027, where he said in response to a question from Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro that Washington does not adopt this proposal and does not consider it in line with the common vision to end the war, explaining that the US administration has a clear plan for Gaza, and that it does not include any additional Israeli military expansion inside the Strip.
This US position comes in light of the escalating controversy over Netanyahu's latest plan, in which he officially announced the army's directive to expand and control 70% of Gaza's territory, compared to the 60% it currently controls, a move that Hamas considered "torpedo the ceasefire agreement."
20-Item U.S. Plan
This Israeli approach contradicts the "20-point Trump plan" adopted by UN Security Council Resolution 2803, which stipulates in its second phase a gradual and complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Strip, not its expansion, and the plan also includes that Israeli forces will remain behind a separation line that includes only 53% of Gaza's area, before Tel Aviv gradually raised the percentage to 60%, and now aspires to 70%.
The US plan states that in the post-war phase, it should rely on international stabilization forces to manage security after the factions are disarmed, rather than consolidating a long-term Israeli military presence, and the US position was not limited to Gaza, as it extended to the West Bank as well, where Rubio stressed that Trump rejects any unilateral steps or actual annexations by Israel, as it complicates the chances of achieving the regional settlement for Gaza.
The International Stabilization Force in the Trump Plan
The proposed ISAF is divided into a mix of major Western, Arab and regional powers, with Western countries forming its military and logistical backbone, with the United States leading operational planning, monitoring crossings, and overseeing the disarmament process, while Britain and France are responsible for policing vital areas and providing intelligence and technical support, and other European countries are partnering with police units and advisers to establish a new Palestinian police force away from factionalism.
The plan relies on a pivotal role for Egypt and Jordan in securing humanitarian crossings and corridors, and the Gulf countries, led by the UAE and Saudi Arabia, are contributing logistical and administrative support, in addition to their expected role in financing reconstruction efforts under the supervision of the International Peace Council.
This force is granted a UN mandate that allows it to use force when necessary to prevent the return of armed manifestations or the reconstruction of tunnels, while stationing it in areas from which the Israeli army is gradually withdrawing to ensure that there is no security vacuum, and its mission extends until the end of 2027, a transitional period during which it is supposed to complete the process of qualifying a security force affiliated with the Palestinian Authority to take over the full management of the Gaza Strip.