Official sees ‘steps in the right direction’ for Gaza plan as Israel curbs its strikes

A foreign official involved in an attempt to implement the Board of Peace’s disarmament roadmap for Gaza said on Thursday that there has been some progress on the plan in recent days, as the Israel Defense Forces has shown restraint.

The official’s outlook came as a group of Muslim countries — including the United Arab Emirates, a close ally of Israel, and hostile Turkey — condemned Israeli “violations” in the Gaza Strip and accused Israel of undermining US President Donald Trump’s plan for postwar Gaza.

“After a challenging start, we’ve seen some steps in the right direction,” the foreign official said.

“We are seeing restraint now and a pullback in the military operations that is important to getting the sequencing rolling,” the official said of the IDF.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Tuesday that Israel has not agreed to the Hamas disarmament proposal, which the terror group accepted last week. While pushing back against the plan’s call for stopping IDF operations in Gaza, Netanyahu did not deny reports that Israel has agreed to tighten its rules of engagement, requiring the approval of IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen Eyal Zamir before any strike can go ahead.

The disarmament plan requires Israel to pull back to the original Yellow Line in Gaza. Israel withdrew to that line as part of the October 2025 ceasefire-hostage release deal with Hamas, but has since expanded its control of the Strip from 53 percent to over 60%.

While the Board of Peace indicated that Israel would not have to carry out withdrawals beyond the original Yellow Line until Hamas at least begins to hand over its weapons, Netanyahu asserted on Tuesday that Israeli forces will not move at all.

“This calm and stability is important and offers a platform to start accelerating implementation,” the official said. “But it is of course a delicate situation in an environment with no trust. That is why the roadmap is so important as it builds the verification, the phasing, the sequencing to set expectations and incentivize compliance.”

The official added, “We are currently working on setting up the precise mechanisms of the International Verification Committee, which will play a critical role in this process — not just in getting through the phase one commitments, but then moving on to the next stages and the bigger challenges with decommissioning [weapons] and a full transition of power, and the various steps those will trigger.”

The official’s report of progress came as Qatar, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt on Thursday alleged Israel’s conduct in Gaza “constitutes a clear breach of Israel’s obligations under international law and the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, undermines international and regional efforts aimed at implementing the second phase of the Plan, particularly following the announcement by US President Donald Trump that the Palestinian factions accepted the roadmap, including the provisions relating to the confinement of weapons.”

They said Israel’s policy in Gaza “threatens to derail the political process, reignite the cycle of escalation, and further deepen the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.”

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday that Tehran would support any initiative or decision taken by Palestinian leaders in ongoing indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel, Iranian state media reported.

Last week, a senior US official said Iran tried to convince Hamas not to accept the Board of Peace’s disarmament proposal.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Thursday her organization backs the Board of Peace’s roadmap, calling it “a crucial step to make sure that Hamas is disarmed and never again poses a threat to the security of Israel.”

She said in a statement that the bloc “welcomes the announcement of an agreement on the permanent decommissioning of weapons from Hamas and other non-state armed groups, the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and civilian transition in Gaza, and thanks the mediators for their tireless efforts.”

In an oblique swipe at Israeli pushback against the plan, she called on “all parties to approve and implement the agreement without delay.”

Kallas also said the EU will continue to back the Palestinian Authority, “so that it can securely take back effective control of Gaza.”

Uganda approves sending troops for international force in Gaza

Also Thursday, Ugandan authorities won parliamentary approval to deploy troops to Gaza as part of the international force proposed by the Board of Peace to secure the territory.

The successful motion, brought by the defense minister, was Uganda’s first public indication of its willingness to join the International Stabilization Force for Gaza.

It was not immediately clear why Uganda has agreed to deploy in Gaza, or if there was a quid pro quo involved, and some opposition lawmakers questioned Uganda’s motive in the decision. Lawmaker Hassan Kirumira said the deployment will raise “diplomatic concerns” for a country that is a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

The “big question” for supporters of the deployment to clarify is: “On which side is our army going to fight?” he said in parliament.

Defense Minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka, seeking the support of lawmakers, cited Uganda’s military capabilities stemming from its peacekeeping deployments in countries such as Somalia.

The force, proposed by Trump’s Board of Peace in February, would be led by American Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, who said in May that the envisioned 20,000-strong force would ensure “future prosperity and enduring peace.”

Report: Board of Peace grants contract to build ISF base in Gaza

Separately Thursday, the Guardian reported that the Board of Peace has granted its first building contract to Arkel International, a Louisiana-based firm, to construct a 150-person military outpost for Moroccan troops serving in the ISF.

A Board of Peace official responded to the outlet in an email saying the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), the body of Palestinian technocrats set to govern Gaza, “are in the final stages of preparing several contract awards. None have been finalized,” but added that one of the contracts related to facilities to support the ISF.

According to the report, the outpost, planned as 100 meters by 120 meters (330 feet by 390 feet), will be located in the Israeli-controlled zone of Gaza.

The Board of Peace envisions the establishment of a pilot humanitarian zone in the Rafah area of southern Gaza, from which Israeli troops would withdraw and be replaced by personnel from the ISF. The arrangement would allow an initial group of vetted Gazans to relocate from Hamas-controlled territory.

While three other countries — Albania, Kazakhstan and Kosovo — have also agreed to contribute troops to the ISF, Morocco is slated to be the first to actually deploy troops in Gaza, officials familiar with the Board of Peace’s plans have told The Times of Israel.