Washington — The U.S. has quietly moved away from insisting that Hamas fully disarm before a major reconstruction push begins in the Gaza Strip. U.S. officials now say the disarmament issue will be delayed, allowing billions in reconstruction funds and humanitarian aid to flow more quickly.
The shift comes after months of warnings from regional partners that enforcing an immediate disarmament for Hamas was unrealistic. Israeli leaders had made disarming Hamas a pre-condition for approving reconstruction efforts, but the U.S. now appears to be prioritizing rebuilding infrastructure and restoring civilian life.
Under the changed posture, the United States is instead pushing for a phased approach: start reconstruction and stabilize Gaza first, then tackle the harder question of military control later. The move responds to mounting humanitarian urgency and pressure to show progress on the ground.