Early reconstruction efforts in the Israeli-controlled portion of the Gaza Strip will further advance a de facto partitioning of Gaza, enabling Israel to apply military pressure on Hamas to disarm without returning to full-scale war, preventing significant domestic or international backlash while forestalling a resumption of Houthi attacks. As the Israeli military implements a plan to divide the Gaza Strip, private contractors have begun the construction of the first U.S.-backed semipermanent compound to house Palestinians in Rafah, in the Israeli-controlled portion of the territory. Each so-called "Alternative Safe Community" is projected to be able to eventually house 20,000-25,000 Palestinians and to have schools and medical facilities, but will likely take several months to construct and cost tens of millions of dollars. The U.S.-backed plan proposed the construction of at least six of these compounds. However, even as construction on the first of these compounds begins, several unresolved questions regarding the...
