US Official: Final arrangements for opening Rafah crossing and forming international force

The day after the announcement of the "Peace Council" on the sidelines of the Davos Forum in Switzerland, and the controversy that accompanied that step, questions are increasing about the Council's work program, especially regarding the steps to implement US President Donald Trump's plan related to the Gaza Strip. Trump officially announced, last Thursday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the inauguration of the Gaza Peace Council, stressing that the Council includes the best leaders in the world, and has a chance to be one of the most important entities ever created.

In an interview during the (2026/1/23) episode of the program "Events Track", Mignon Houston, Deputy Spokesperson for the US State Department, said that "the Peace Council aims to make the Gaza Strip more secure and prosperous," adding that the priority of President Trump's administration is "the security of the region, and that Gaza be free of the Hamas movement."

The American spokeswoman called on the movement to lay down its arms to begin the reconstruction of the Strip, saying, "We expect Hamas to abide by what it signed and lay down its arms."

Regarding the international stabilization force in Gaza, the spokeswoman confirmed that work is underway on it, and revealed that the final arrangements for opening the Rafah crossing and forming the international force will be discussed today, Saturday, in Tel Aviv.

Houston indicated that "the peace agreement in Gaza may face bumps," stressing that the US administration is closely monitoring the situation, ensuring that all parties adhere to peace, and is committed to opening the Rafah crossing.

On the sidelines of the Davos Forum, and after the signing ceremony of the "Peace Council" charter, Jared Kushner, advisor and son-in-law of the US President, presented what he said was a plan for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, which included 4 stages dominated by economic and investment aspects.

Although Mark Feifel, former US National Security Advisor, described the plan presented by Trump's son-in-law as ambitious, he said that there are many public statements about it, pointing to the importance of opening the Rafah crossing to bring aid to the residents of Gaza and provide them with food, medicine, and energy.

Feifel spoke about the need to disarm Hamas, and said that there is also a need to deploy an international stabilization force in Gaza.

Contrary to what the American spokeswoman said regarding the mission of the Peace Council and the plan for the reconstruction of Gaza, Dr. Ibrahim Freihat, Professor of International Conflicts at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, believes that what the Americans are presenting are projects separate from any political horizon regarding the settlement in Gaza, and no Palestinian framework has participated in them.

He pointed out that the Peace Council faces a legitimacy crisis in light of the refusal of major European powers - such as Germany, France, and Spain - to join it, which raises questions about the issue of funding, according to him.

Freihat also pointed out that disarming Hamas - as indicated by Trump's plan - requires the US administration to speak with the movement, which is not happening.

For his part, writer and political analyst, Ahmed Al-Tannani - in his interview with the program "Events Track" - points to the fears of Palestinians in Gaza about American projects, because they bypass - in his opinion - the Israeli occupation and focus on the Palestinian resistance, and do not address the political horizon of the Palestinian people and stopping the interventions of the occupation.

According to academic and expert on Israeli affairs, Dr. Muhannad Mustafa, Israel is not concerned with Trump's plan, and all it wants is to resolve the Palestinian issue, noting that right-wing ministers in the government objected to the US President's plan because they believe it hinders their settlement projects and does not work to displace the residents of Gaza.