The United States has begun outlining a long-term framework for a divided Gaza that would create a protected “green zone” under Israeli and international military control while leaving a separate “red zone” where almost all Palestinians have been displaced and where no reconstruction is currently planned. The proposal, revealed through senior U.S. and allied officials speaking to The Guardian, signals a shift in Washington’s postwar planning and suggests the conflict’s territorial map may remain fractured for years.

Gaza’s population has been almost entirely pushed from the northern and central regions into southern areas now classified by planners as the red zone. The model being discussed divides the enclave into two distinct territories. The green zone would be a militarily secured area where reconstruction and aid operations could begin under heavy guard. The red zone would consist of destroyed districts that remain uninhabitable and outside the scope of immediate rebuilding, reflecting a reality shaped by displacement and continuing insecurity.

U.S. officials familiar with the plan described it as a stabilisation blueprint aimed at containing renewed fighting, preventing militant regrouping, and creating controlled corridors for humanitarian work. Israel would retain a dominant security role in the green zone, supported by international partners that may include Western militaries and regional states aligned through existing security agreements. While no deployment list has been finalised, discussions have involved contributions from European and Arab states with prior peacekeeping experience.

The concept mirrors earlier U.S. post-conflict frameworks seen in Iraq and Syria, where secure enclaves were created to facilitate reconstruction while surrounding areas remained contested or inaccessible. Officials argue the approach is necessary due to the scale of urban destruction in Gaza and the unresolved security threat posed by Hamas cells operating in dispersed pockets. Critics counter that the model effectively formalises a partition of Gaza and leaves displaced civilians with no clear path back to their homes.

Humanitarian organisations say the red zone label reflects an alarming shift, acknowledging that vast sections of Gaza may remain uninhabitable indefinitely. Satellite assessments referenced in the reporting show that entire neighbourhoods north of the green zone footprint have been levelled, with water, sewage, and electricity networks collapsed beyond near-term repair. Aid agencies warn that leaving this territory in ruins will prolong displacement and deepen Gaza’s humanitarian emergency.

Israeli officials have declined to publicly confirm specifics of the plan but have acknowledged ongoing coordination with Washington on “multi-phase security arrangements”. Israeli military briefings referenced in the reporting indicate that command-controlled corridors would remain in place across Gaza well into 2026, supporting U.S. assessments that postwar stabilisation will require long-term military presence.

Regional governments have expressed concern that an internationally secured green zone could morph into a de facto occupation extension. Diplomats working with Arab League partners cited in The Guardian report said that without a clear political framework tied to Palestinian self-governance, any foreign troop presence would be viewed as endorsing territorial fragmentation. They emphasised that reconstruction must include all of Gaza, not only the sectors under joint control.

In Washington, officials insist the proposal is not intended to cement permanent division but to create a secure environment that allows reconstruction to begin. They argue that immediate full-scale rebuilding across all Gaza is impossible while hostilities continue and security risks persist. The U.S. position is that a phased territorial approach may be the only way to prevent a complete collapse of humanitarian systems while work toward a political agreement continues.

The plan comes amid rising international pressure on both Washington and Jerusalem to outline a clear long-term strategy for Gaza’s governance, reconstruction, and civilian return. With nearly the entire population displaced, aid distribution fragmented, and political negotiations stalled, the absence of a broader settlement has raised alarms among UN officials and humanitarian leaders who fear Gaza could drift into an open-ended emergency with shifting military boundaries.

If implemented, the green-and-red zone structure would redefine Gaza’s landscape, setting the conditions for reconstruction in one area while leaving another in prolonged devastation. For Washington, it represents an attempt to stabilise a conflict that continues to reshape regional politics. For Palestinians, it raises urgent questions about return, sovereignty, and whether the territory will remain permanently divided along the lines being drawn today.