Israeli Settlement Affairs Minister Orit Strock has sharply criticized US President Donald Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace,” describing it as a “bad plan” and calling instead for Israel to reoccupy the Gaza Strip.
Speaking on Sunday to the far-right settler radio station Galey Israel, Strock said Israeli soldiers should not be put at risk for what she described as a flawed initiative, warning that she could quit the government if the plan advances.
“We are not supposed to endanger our soldiers for this bad plan, and I may have to leave the government,” Strock said.
Her comments came days after Trump signed the founding charter of the “Board of Peace” on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, formally launching an initiative he has promoted as part of a broader Gaza plan.
Calls for Israeli Control over Gaza
Strock openly advocated for Israeli control of Gaza following the disarmament of Hamas, rejecting any alternative governance arrangement.
“Let’s assume the Israeli army really enters and occupies Gaza—who would we hand it over to?” she said. “To the Palestinian Authority? We did that in 2005 and saw the result.”
Israel withdrew its troops and dismantled settlements in Gaza in 2005 under the unilateral disengagement plan led by then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
Strock argued that Israel should remain the sole authority in Gaza after defeating Hamas, dismissing proposals for a technocratic Palestinian administration.
She said she could not imagine any minister in Israel’s Security Cabinet voting to send troops into Gaza only to later transfer authority to Ali Shaath, head of a Palestinian technocratic committee tasked with administering post-war Gaza.
“Until I see the prime minister rein in this direction, I may eventually have to say: enough,” she said, referring to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Egypt Calls for Israeli Withdrawal from Gaza as Talks Intensify on Reopening Rafah
Ceasefire Phase Two and Hamas Position
The second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which began on October 10, includes provisions for the disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian resistance factions, an additional Israeli military withdrawal, and the start of reconstruction.
Hamas has rejected demands to surrender its weapons, proposing instead that they be “stored” or “frozen,” while stressing that it is a resistance movement operating under conditions of occupation, as recognized by the United Nations.
US Envoy: Talks with Netanyahu ‘Constructive’
Meanwhile, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said discussions with Netanyahu regarding the second phase of Trump’s Gaza plan were “constructive.”
In a post on X, Witkoff said US and Israeli officials held meetings on Saturday and agreed on the importance of continued coordination and on “next steps,” without providing details. The meeting was also attended by Jared Kushner, senior adviser Ariyeh Lightstone, and White House adviser Josh Gruenbaum, according to Israeli media.
Axios reported that the talks focused on reopening the Rafah border crossing and Gaza’s reconstruction, while Yedioth Ahronoth said Israel has conditioned the reopening of Rafah on the recovery of the body of the last Israeli captive held in Gaza.
Israeli Army Radio later reported that an agreement had been reached on Rafah during the meeting, though no official details were disclosed. Palestinian officials have said the crossing could reopen next week.
Yesterday, a U.S. delegation including Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Senior Advisor Aryeh Lightstone, and White House advisor Josh Gruenbaum met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The discussion focused on the continued progress and implementation planning for…
— Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (@SEPeaceMissions) January 25, 2026
Security Control at Rafah
According to Haaretz, Israel has asked Washington to consider deploying US private security companies at the Rafah crossing, potentially replacing Palestinian personnel. Diplomatic sources told the newspaper the idea had been raised previously and abandoned, but has now resurfaced.
Israel seized control of the Rafah crossing in May 2024 during its ground assault on the city, destroying large parts of the terminal and keeping it closed since.
Ongoing War in Gaza
The debate over Gaza’s future comes amid Israel’s ongoing war on the enclave. Since October 2023, the Israeli genocide has killed more than 71,600 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured over 171,300, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Despite the ceasefire framework, Israeli attacks have continued, with the Gaza Health Ministry reporting 484 Palestinians killed and 1,321 wounded since the truce took effect.
Although the “Board of Peace” charter describes the initiative as an international body to promote stability and governance, critics note that it grants Trump sweeping lifelong powers and makes no explicit reference to Gaza or Palestinian self-determination, raising concerns that it seeks to bypass existing UN mechanisms.
(PC, AA, AJA, US Media, Israeli Media)
Not only is Hamas a resistance movement operating under occupation as approved by the United Nations grand alliance during the 1939-45 world war, but the IDF is an army credibly accused of genocide. The precedent set by the UN before and after it was formalized as the UNO, requires that the IDF disarm before the resistance movements. Naturally, it also requires that the genocidal army submit to trial over its war crimes and crimes against humanity. That the United States is ashamed of being the United States can be seen in how it adheres not to the precedent it set in 1945, but instead to that the the Prohibition Era.