US presses Israel to fund Gaza rubble removal Trump pushes for ceasefire's second phase

The United States has asked Israel to assume full practical and financial responsibility for removing rubble across the Gaza Strip, according to reporting in the Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth.

The request follows a year of devastating Israeli bombardment and demolition that left unprecedented levels of destruction throughout the territory.

The newspaper said Israel has agreed "in principle" to the demand, with the initial phase to begin in one neighbourhood of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Rubble removal has become a central point of contention after both Arab states and the wider international community rejected calls to fund the operation. As a result, Israel is expected to be required to clear all debris across Gaza in a process that could last years and cost more than one billion dollars.

The Wall Street Journal previously reported that the Strip is now buried under roughly 68 million tons of construction waste, after most buildings were destroyed or damaged. The UN Development Programme, which is supervising debris-removal efforts, uses the same estimate.

According to the US newspaper, the accumulated weight of debris is equivalent to about 186 buildings the size of New York’s Empire State Building.

Clearing the destruction is considered a prerequisite for beginning reconstruction under the second phase of the current ceasefire agreement. The US is seeking to begin rebuilding in Rafah first, with the aim of turning the area into a model for President Donald Trump’s reconstruction vision.

Washington hopes such a project will encourage residents from other parts of Gaza to relocate to Rafah, with reconstruction of evacuated districts to take place in subsequent stages.

To meet the American request, Israel will be required to contract specialised companies capable of handling large-scale rubble-removal operations. The newspaper reported that Israel is also expected to bear the cost of clearing debris in all other areas of Gaza, amounting to "several billion shekels".

Local and medical officials say the accumulated rubble and structurally weakened buildings in Gaza have become increasingly deadly, with winter storms triggering collapses that killed 13 people in less than 24 hours. Civil defence crews reported at least 15 homes giving way across the Strip - including fatal incidents in Bir al-Naaja, Al-Rimal, Shati camp, Al-Karama and Sheikh Radwan - trapping residents beneath debris.

Rescue teams warn that walls and foundations damaged by months of bombardment, and further destabilised by heavy rain, pose a continuing risk of additional collapses

In parallel, the United States is pressing Israel to immediately implement the second phase of the ceasefire. Tel Aviv has conditioned this step on the return of the body of Israeli captive Ran Guoli.

Additionally, Washington is working toward deploying an international stabilisation force in Gaza at the start of 2026, beginning with Rafah, which is not under Hamas control. Indonesia and Azerbaijan have reportedly pledged to send troops.

Other states have expressed willingness to assist through training, equipment or funding, though without enthusiasm for deploying personnel on the ground.

The United States also continues to push for including Turkish soldiers in the stabilisation force, but Israel strongly rejects the proposal. US envoy Tom Barrack is expected to meet Netanyahu next week in an effort to persuade him.

Israel considers a Turkish presence a red line, and Netanyahu has privately expressed pessimism regarding the force’s ability to disarm Hamas, saying the task may ultimately require intervention by the Israeli army.

A senior Israeli official told the newspaper that the United States is now "focusing on the reconstruction file more than on disarmament", a stance that has caused unease in Israel. President Trump has said he will announce the formation of a "Peace Council" in early 2026 to oversee Gaza’s administration and reconstruction, noting that the council will include prominent world leaders.