Board of Peace plans Gaza humanitarian zones in Cyprus talks

Diplomatic meetings held in Cyprus this week brought together members of the Palestinian Technocratic Committee, advisors from the Board of Peace, senior Gaza envoy Nikolai Mladenov and former UK prime minister Tony Blair. The participants discussed concrete steps for establishing humanitarian zones in the Gaza Strip that would proceed even if Hamas does not disarm immediately.

The plan outlines building temporary housing, schools and medical facilities that could be ready within three to six months. The first “yellow zone” would be in Tel al‑Sultan, initially accommodating tens of thousands and later expanding to house several hundred thousand residents. Security inside the zones would be handled by a new Palestinian police force trained in Egypt, supported by an international stabilization contingent, while Israeli forces would retain control of the external perimeter.

Unresolved issues include criteria for selecting displaced residents, the demographic makeup of the zones and mechanisms to prevent Hamas from influencing the relocation process. Organisers stress that the initiative aims to weaken Hamas’s control over the population, humanitarian aid and economic resources rather than concede authority to the group.