Following a meeting last month with Netanyahu, Trump apparently gave the all-clear to begin reconstruction in Rafah, regardless of the negotiations progress. The U.S. and Israel will now move to reconstruction without the Israel Defense Forces withdrawing or the International Stabilization Force being formed, building on the directives announced by Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, back in late October.

Reconstruction would only be allowed in parts of Gaza behind the Yellow Line, which is under IDF control, while barring reconstruction in parts of Gaza still under the control of Hamas. For months, virtually no reconstruction materials have entered the Gaza Strip, and Gazan territory behind the Yellow Line continues to be demolished under the guise of dismantling “Hamas infrastructure.” Witkoff, who was previously a New York real estate developer, and Kushner, a real estate investor, were not taking the helm of these matters because of their supposed political expertise.

Importantly, the slides obtained by the Journal contain the rather large caveat that the plan is “contingent on comprehensive compliance by Hamas to demilitarize and decommission all weapons and tunnels.” According to Defense Minister Israel Katz, demolishing “underground terrorist infrastructure” necessitates the destruction of “all the buildings above them” as well.