Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly postponed several measures connected to Gaza’s future administration until after the elections, including training thousands of Palestinian police officers and preparations to build a new Rafah.

Netanyahu’s office rejected the claim that the decisions were election-related, saying he will not permit reconstruction or a new police force until Hamas fully disarms and the entire Gaza Strip is demilitarized.

According to officials familiar with the discussions, the political leadership issued instructions in recent weeks to delay the measures, conveying that they would proceed after the elections.

The most significant delay concerns a proposed Palestinian police force. The Shin Bet reportedly cleared between 5,000 and 7,000 Palestinians to travel to Egypt for police training, but Netanyahu instructed that their departure be postponed.

The candidates’ names were submitted by the Board of Peace for security screening as part of efforts to implement President Donald Trump’s Gaza agreement. The report said the decision to halt their departure came from the political leadership rather than the Shin Bet.

Other postponed measures reportedly include preparations for a new Rafah, the deployment of a multinational force and the entry of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.

The committee was established in January under Dr. Ali Shaath and includes approximately 15 additional technocrats.

“Netanyahu has stopped a great many measures concerning the Gaza Strip in recent weeks and postponed them until after the elections,” one source familiar with the matter said.

The source argued that Israel would ultimately be required to approve the measures despite Hamas’s refusal to disarm, claiming their implementation was being delayed for political reasons.

The measures form part of the agreement reached in connection with the release of the remaining hostages a little more than a year ago.

Meanwhile, officials familiar with conditions in Gaza say Hamas continues rebuilding its strength, enforcing its authority over civilians and collecting taxes on goods entering the territory.

Approximately 600 trucks enter Gaza daily, according to the report, providing Hamas with opportunities to collect substantial revenue.

Israeli intelligence assessments reportedly indicate that Hamas intends to resume terrorist attacks, potentially through the abduction of a soldier or a raid on an IDF position inside Gaza.

Southern Command is preparing for various scenarios, while senior IDF officials have assessed that a return to fighting may eventually become unavoidable.

The U.S. administration is seeking to advance implementation of the agreement, even as Hamas’s disarmament and Gaza’s demilitarization remain unresolved.

Responding to the report, Netanyahu’s office said:

“Without any connection to the elections, the prime minister is not permitting this. Since the release of all the hostages, Hamas has systematically violated President Trump’s 20-point plan. The prime minister has therefore made clear that there will be no reconstruction and no police force in Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed and the entire Strip is demilitarized.”

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