BOARD OF PEACE UNVEILS $2.45BN GAZA RECONSTRUCTION PLAN

The US-backed Board of Peace has proposed a six-month, $2.45 billion plan to begin reconstruction and governance in Gaza, the board said at a meeting of its members. The blueprint sets out 66 projects covering infrastructure, education and health initiatives, according to the board. Proposals reported around the meeting also cover temporary housing, rubble removal, hospital repairs, economic recovery and the deployment of a multinational security force, according to a news outlet cited in reporting on the plan. The board described the plan as an initial phase designed to support President Donald Trump's wider 20-point framework for ending the Israel-Gaza war.

The ceasefire underpinning the plan took effect on 10 October and was intended to open the way for a broader Gaza rebuilding process overseen by the Board of Peace. Trump's 20-point plan also envisages further Israeli military withdrawals from Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas, the deployment of an international peacekeeping force, and the creation of a new apolitical Palestinian government to run the territory's day-to-day affairs. The reconstruction proposals form part of this broader framework rather than a standalone initiative, according to the board.

The board said the scale of reconstruction required far exceeds the initial $2.45 billion package, estimating that full reconstruction from physical damage across Gaza will cost roughly $35.2 billion over the medium term and a further $71.4 billion over the next decade. "The need is immense," the board said. The board acknowledged that significant obstacles remain before the wider plan can be carried out, and the proposals come as Trump's ceasefire faces difficulties in holding. No confirmed timeline for implementing the 66 projects beyond the initial six months has been given.

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