Board of Peace proposes Gaza reconstruction blueprint

The US-backed Board of Peace is proposing a six-month, $2.45 billion (€2.15 billion) plan to begin reconstruction and governance in Gaza as President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan struggles to stay afloat.

At a meeting of the group's board, the governors unveiled a 66-project blueprint to get things started while acknowledging enormous hurdles that must still be overcome.

The projects include ambitious infrastructure, education and health initiatives that are designed to support Mr Trump's 20-point plan to end the Israel-Hamas war.

"The need is immense," the board said, noting that full reconstruction from the physical damage across Gaza will cost roughly $35.2 billion over the medium term and another $71.4 billion dollars in the next 10 years.

The proposal is largely aimed at potential donors who will be asked to foot the bill for reconstruction of the war-devastated territory.

The ceasefire, which took effect on 10 October, was meant to clear the way for a broader process to rebuild Gaza under the guidance of the Board of Peace.

The plan included additional Israeli military withdrawals from Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas, the arrival of an international peacekeeping force and a new apolitical Palestinian government to administer the territory's day-to-day affairs.

It also envisioned an ambitious programme for rebuilding war-ravaged Gaza, but the US-backed plan has largely stalled.

While the ceasefire halted the heaviest fighting and humanitarian conditions have improved, the Israeli military has expanded its control of Gaza and now occupies some 60% of the territory.

Hamas has not given up its weapons.

The international military force and new government still have not entered Gaza, and reconstruction has not begun.

The vast majority of Palestinians continue to live in tent camps or ruins of their former homes.

The board's high representative, Nikolay Mladenov, has said progress hinges largely on Hamas disarming, which is a step the group has refused to take so far.

But he also has pressed Israel to scale back its military operation.

A key question the board faces will be not only laying out plans for reconstruction, but a timeline for the deployment of the international force and new government, plans to disarm and bringing badly needed building materials into the territory.

"I want to be very clear that we are not bound by a calendar," Mr Mladenov said.

"We want to make sure that this works."

US general Jasper Jeffers, commander of the international stabilisation force planned for Gaza, outlined a five-step approach to dealing with the thorny issue of demilitarising Hamas.

It begins with the first wave of the multinational unit being deployed with troops from Kosovo and Morocco, to be followed by additional personnel from Albania and Kazakhstan.

Their task will be to demilitarise the territory and decommission all of Hamas's military infrastructure.

The goal, he said, is to gradually turn security control over to the interim government, after which Israel will be expected to withdraw its forces.

At least four killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza

Meanwhile Israeli airstrikes killed at least four Palestinians in Gaza, local Hamas-backed health officials said today, and Israel said one of the attacks targeted a Hamas finance chief.

The medics said two of the Palestinians, Osama Abu Khater and Mohammad Abu Elwan, were killed when an Israeli airstrike hit a vehicle in western Khan Younis, in the south of the enclave.

Two other people were wounded, they added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz, in a joint statement,described Mohammad Abu Elwan as a senior Hamas finance official.

"We will not allow Hamas to rebuild its strength, and we will not stop until Hamas no longer exists in Gaza," the joint statement said.

Hamas did not immediately comment.

Later, Palestinian health officials said two people had also been killed in two separate Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City and in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza , taking the death toll to at least four.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the last two strikes.

Palestinian authorities say more than 73,000 people have been killed in Israel's assault on Gaza, launched after Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel in October 2023.

At least 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect, according to the territory's health officials, while the Israeli military says four Israeli soldiers have been killed.

Israel and Hamas trade blame over responsibility for violations of the ceasefire agreement.

Additional reporting Reuters