A stream of Israeli leaks has highlighted moves toward alternative scenarios in Gaza if the disarmament of Hamas is not carried out soon.
The options being floated range from freezing reconstruction across the enclave and limiting rebuilding to areas under Israeli control to the prospect of renewed military operations.
Experts who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat described the leaks about alternative plans to confront Hamas as pressure tactics and contingency plans, saying they reflect expectations that the main plan to disarm the resistance will not be implemented immediately.
They said such measures further complicate the path of the second phase, making it, even if launched, a lengthy process due to Israeli obstacles.
Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported on Friday, citing sources, that the army is preparing alternative plans to carry out a new military operation in Gaza to dismantle Hamas infrastructure if an international force fails in its mission.
This followed earlier Israeli talk of starting partial reconstruction in the southern city of Rafah before Hamas is disarmed, according to Israel’s Channel 12. That proposal contradicts efforts by Arab states to pursue a comprehensive reconstruction of Gaza.
The leaks came after a meeting last week between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israel Hayom reported at the time that the two had agreed on Jan. 15 as the date to begin the second phase of Trump’s Gaza plan, with a two-month deadline to dismantle Hamas’ weapons, amid presidential threats against the Palestinian movement if it fails to comply.
Mokhtar Ghobashy, Secretary General of the Al-Farabi Center for Strategic Studies, stated that the second phase of the Gaza agreement is inherently complex and that Israel does not want to enter it except on terms that serve its interests.
He said this became clear after the Trump-Netanyahu meeting, noting that there appears to be an agreed path allowing the launch of the second phase, but at a slow pace. Any acceleration, he said, would depend on the interests achieved by both sides, not just the Palestinians.
Barakat Al-Farra, a former Palestinian ambassador to Egypt, said that the repeated Israeli leaks since last week’s Trump-Netanyahu meeting indicate attempts and contingency plans aimed at complicating the second phase, even if it begins, and that its implementation would be delayed due to Israeli obstacles.
Amid the Israeli leaks, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye and Qatar issued a joint statement on Friday calling for the implementation of Trump’s Gaza agreement.
They stressed the need for the immediate, full and unhindered entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza through the United Nations and its agencies, as well as the rehabilitation of infrastructure and hospitals and the opening of the Rafah crossing in both directions.
The eight ministers emphasized the urgent need to immediately launch and expand early recovery efforts, including providing permanent and dignified shelter to protect residents from harsh winter conditions.
The statement also renewed the eight countries’ full support for UN Security Council Resolution 2803 and for the comprehensive plan presented by Trump.
The ministers said they are committed to contributing to its successful implementation in a way that ensures the sustainability of the ceasefire, ends the war in Gaza, secures a dignified life for Palestinians, and leads to a credible path toward Palestinian self-determination and statehood.
Resolution 2803 was adopted by the Security Council in November and welcomed Trump’s 20-point plan to end the Gaza conflict, which was issued on September 29, 2025.
Despite the end of the war after the ceasefire agreement entered into force on Oct. 10, 2025, living conditions have not improved significantly due to Israel’s failure to meet its commitments under the deal.
These include allowing the agreed-upon quantities of food, relief, and medical supplies, as well as mobile homes, and opening border crossings.
Ghobashy said the joint statement by the eight Arab and Islamic countries extends pressure efforts to accelerate the move toward the second phase and to enforce Israel’s delayed commitments from the first phase, particularly those related to opening the Rafah crossing in both directions and increasing the flow of aid.
Al-Farra, meanwhile, said mediators have no option but to continue applying pressure to prevent any further complications for the second phase, predicting that 2026 will not differ from previous periods since the Gaza agreement began in October.
