Slowed by Hamas’s grip and Israeli politics, Gaza plan advancing in ‘baby steps,’ officials say

Nine months after its introduction, the US-backed Gaza peace plan is progressing in "baby steps" due to Hamas's refusal to disarm and Israeli political hesitations ahead of its October election. The plan aims to begin reconstruction and aid in areas outside Hamas's control, with a workaround strategy focusing on "terror-free areas handed over from the IDF" to an International Stabilization Force (ISF).

• Hamas dissolved its emergency government, forming a new technocratic committee, but officials view this as a pressure tactic rather than a genuine readiness to disarm.
• Israel has delayed approving procedural measures, such as the deployment of foreign peacekeeping troops and the vetting of a new Palestinian police force, with officials attributing this to the government's hardline stance during the election campaign.
• The ISF, though under-resourced, is
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