Disarmament, humanitarian aid at centre of new Gaza ‘working groups’
Al Jazeera
•Tue, 18 Aug 2026 13:58:58 +0000
📰 What Happened
Two joint working groups have been formed after US envoy Jared Kushner and Board of Peace officials met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to push President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan. One committee is tasked with the disarmament and demilitarisation of Gaza, while the second will focus on humanitarian efforts including sanitation, clean water and health. Kushner told US media that reconstruction of Gaza will not be allowed until demilitarisation is complete.
🔍 The Backstory
The panels aim to bypass deadlock and advance Phase Two of Trump's 15-point Gaza peace plan, which Netanyahu rejected over the sequencing of Hamas disarmament relative to Israeli withdrawal. The Board of Peace leadership, including Nickolay Mladenov, Tony Blair and US Ambassador Mike Huckabee, attended the talks, with Israeli security chiefs represented from the Israeli side.
🎯 Why It Matters
The working groups represent a concrete attempt to move the stalled Gaza peace plan forward, and the order of operations they set - disarmament before reconstruction - is highly consequential for Gaza's more than two million residents. The arrangement also signals that the US is centralising decision-making over Gaza's post-war future among a small circle of envoys and private figures, shaping who ultimately controls reconstruction and security in the territory.
Two joint working groups have been formed after US envoy Jared Kushner and Board of Peace officials met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to push President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan. One committee is tasked with the disarmament and demilitarisation of Gaza, while the second will focus on humanitarian efforts including sanitation, clean water and health. Kushner told US media that reconstruction of Gaza will not be allowed until demilitarisation is complete.
The panels aim to bypass deadlock and advance Phase Two of Trump's 15-point Gaza peace plan, which Netanyahu rejected over the sequencing of Hamas disarmament relative to Israeli withdrawal. The Board of Peace leadership, including Nickolay Mladenov, Tony Blair and US Ambassador Mike Huckabee, attended the talks, with Israeli security chiefs represented from the Israeli side.
The working groups represent a concrete attempt to move the stalled Gaza peace plan forward, and the order of operations they set - disarmament before reconstruction - is highly consequential for Gaza's more than two million residents. The arrangement also signals that the US is centralising decision-making over Gaza's post-war future among a small circle of envoys and private figures, shaping who ultimately controls reconstruction and security in the territory.