Israel Hayom reports that the U.S.-mandated Board of Peace will launch its first pilot zones in the Rafah area within weeks, policed by a Palestinian force armed only with Tasers and screened for Hamas or PA affiliation. The IDF will maintain a security cordon outside the zones, and the Board accepts the Israeli demand that the Palestinian Authority not return to Gaza.
Israel Hayom reports Sunday on operational details of the first 'Hamas-free' pilot zones in the Gaza Strip, overseen by the U.S.-established Board of Peace (the 'Peace Council' chaired by Trump envoy). The plan follows months of delay after Hamas rejected the Board's demand to disarm, and the new policy — including the targeted elimination of senior Hamas figures rebuilding the organization and the systematic interdiction of terrorists involved in the October 7 massacre — is implicitly accepted by the Board, according to sources cited by the newspaper.
The pilot zones, set to open near Rafah in the coming weeks, will be policed by a Palestinian force armed only with Tasers, with each member's background checked against Hamas and PA affiliation. Two security rings will surround the zones: an inner ring manned by the international International Stabilisation Force (ISF), and an outer IDF cordon to prevent Hamas infiltration. The Board argues that separating the civilian population from Hamas is the greatest threat to the terror group, and has decided to proceed with the pilot even without prior disarmament.
As The Zioneer previously reported, the IDF now controls roughly 70% of the Strip, and the 'humanitarian zone' concept has been discussed for weeks. The Board's acceptance of Israel's demand that the PA not return to Gaza aligns with Israel's stated position. What remains unclear is whether the pilot can succeed without formal Hamas cooperation, and whether the civil-defense screening of police will be effective in practice.
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