Posted on 11/26/25
| News Source: Arutz-7
Amid growing pressure from the United States and as the number of slain hostages being held in Gaza dwindles, the State of Israel is preparing for the next stage in President Donald Trump's plan for the Gaza Strip, Kan News reported on Wednesday.
As part of those preparations, the IDF is expected to allow heavy machinery into Rafah, possibly as early as next week, to begin clearing rubble. These works aim to prepare the territory for the creation of a new humanitarian area for Gazans that would not be controlled by Hamas.
According to defense sources, Israel also notified the armed militias that are operating in coordination with it in the area of the matter as part of the coordinated efforts to create an area that is isolated from Hamas influence that could serve as an initial implementation of the next stage of the plan.
Later, according to the American plan, a foreign force is expected to operate in the area, which will be called "New Gaza" and is currently under Israeli security control. This being said, the countries that expressed willingness to send troops to the area are still unwilling to operate in "Old Gaza," which Hamas still controls.
In recent days, IDF troops began clearing unexploded ordnance and pouring concrete into tunnels in Rafah, as part of preliminary preparations for the next stage. According to IDF sources, even if an agreement is reached on the implementation of the plan, due to Hamas's refusal to disarm, the work on the ground contributes to the Israeli interest of dismantling terrorist infrastructure.
The new preparations do not include Rafah's Janina neighborhood, where it is estimated that dozens of terrorists are still holed up underground.