UN Peace Board: Gaza Reconstruction Will Require $71.4 Billion Over the Next Decade

Rebuilding Gaza after years of war will require $71.4 billion over the next decade, the Trump-led Board of Peace said on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.

The estimate is much larger than the $4 to $6 billion the UN said would be needed to rebuild Gaza after the 50-day war in 2014.

At a “high-level” briefing addressed by U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, board members presented what they described as a plan for the first six months of Gaza’s recovery. The plan includes 66 programs, among them humanitarian shelters, oil-powered generators and hospital reconstruction. But the board acknowledged the challenges facing the program, as it can begin only “when funding and access allow.”

It is unclear where the funds for the programs will come from, and the technocratic committee meant to administer Gaza — officially called the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza — has still not entered the coastal enclave, operating from Cairo, Egypt, with practically no authority over the territory it is supposed to help govern.

In a statement after the briefing, the Board of Peace boasted that its plan would be led by Palestinians.

“Our compass remains clear: Palestinian ownership, protection of rights, geographic unity, inclusion of every community, transparency in every process, and adaptability in the face of changing needs,” the organization said.

But 11 months after President Donald Trump unveiled his 20-point plan for a ceasefire in Gaza, the effort remains stalled.

Source: 24-ore.com