Jerusalem:Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has delayed security and administrative plans for the Gaza Strip until after the October 27 election. This includes the deployment of an international force and the establishment of a committee to oversee the territory, as reported by Israeli media on Sunday.
According to Anadolu Agency – English, Israel's public broadcaster KAN revealed that Netanyahu has halted the travel of approximately 7,000 Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt for police training, even though Israel's Shin Bet domestic security agency had approved it. These delays are part of a broader set of decisions regarding the future of Gaza that Israeli political leaders have postponed until after the election.
The postponed measures also involve preparations for constructing a new city in Rafah and the deployment of an international stabilization force in Gaza, alongside the formation of a National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. The Hebrew-language newspaper Israel Hayom reported that the Shin Bet had provided security clearance for between 5,000 and 7,000 Palestinians to be trained as police officers in Egypt, but it did not have the authority to decide on their travel.
Informed sources suggested that the delay in Gaza reconstruction measures has been implemented in stages over recent weeks by Israeli political leaders, rather than through a single directive. The sources indicated that these delays might be due to concerns that current reconstruction efforts and police training in Egypt could conflict with Netanyahu's political interests.
In August, Netanyahu denied approving the deployment of an international stabilization force in Gaza, which is part of a plan from US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace to end hostilities in the area. The force is expected to include troops from multiple countries, led by a US general.
Last July, the Board of Peace laid out a roadmap for the next phases of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which Hamas later accepted. The plan involves transferring Gaza's administration to the national committee with international oversight, deploying the international force, placing Hamas' weapons under the committee's control, and conducting a phased Israeli withdrawal alongside reconstruction efforts. However, Netanyahu insisted that Hamas must disarm before any Israeli withdrawal.
Despite a ceasefire established on October 10, 2025, the Israeli army has killed 1,551 Palestinians and injured 5,573 others, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Since October 2023, the conflict in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of over 74,000 Palestinians, injuries to more than 175,000, and significant destruction of approximately 90% of the territory's civilian infrastructure.