Optimistic plans to improve the enclave’s security, provide reconstruction and humanitarian relief, and institute a more permanent governance structure in Gaza are gridlocked by diplomatic disagreements over Hamas’ disarmament and an increasingly distracted Trump administration, the diplomats say.
“Once the war ended and Hamas agreed to the ceasefire and the hostages were released, that was the priority of the U.S. administration,” said Bishara Bahbah, a Palestinian American businessman who is close to the Trump administration and is regularly briefed on the negotiations. “Then the Iran war came and nobody talks about Gaza as a result.”
An official with the board acknowledged that “life remains very challenging in Gaza and more needs to 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 specify what progress had been made in talks.
“We are pressing for quick agreement of the full and sequenced implementation of the roadmap 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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Inside the Israeli movement pushing for resettlement in Gaza
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A State Department official told NBC News on Friday that American leadership and “targeted negotiations” had improved humanitarian “access” in Gaza.
Reconstruction, however, was contingent on Hamas laying down its weapons, as specified under Trump’s 20-point plan, which the group agreed to as part of the ceasefire.
“Anything short of full demilitarization undermines Gaza’s recovery, Israel’s security and regional stability,” the official added.
Aid agencies agree the situation in Gaza has improved since the ceasefire: Deaths and injuries from Israeli attacks and reports of famine conditions have decreased, but both still stalk 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 have been killed by Israeli attacks since the ceasefire came into 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 influx of aid.
“We’re not getting beyond the immediate basic humanitarian needs,” said Sam Rose, the acting director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza. “People are living in absolute squalor in fetid, rancid conditions on the side of the beach on barren land, in a completely undignified manner.”
COGAT, the Israeli military unit in charge of humanitarian coordination in the Palestinian territories, said claims about the continuing squalor 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 main U.N. body in charge of providing services and aid to Palestinians throughout the Middle East. Israel accused hundreds of UNRWA employees in Gaza of working with terrorist groups and banned the organization from operating in Israel in 2024, effectively blocking its foreign staff and aid from entering the enclave.