NEW YORK — The U.S.-backed Board of Peace is proposing a six-month, US$2.45 billion plan to begin reconstruction and governance in Gaza as U.S. 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 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 US$35.2 billion over the medium term and another US$71.4 billion in the next 10 years. The ceasefire, which took effect on Oct. 10, 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 program for rebuilding war-ravaged Gaza. But the U.S.-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 per cent 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 — 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 today 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. Associated Press writers Josef Federman and Julia Frankel in Jerusalem and Ben Finley in Washington contributed to this report. Matthew Lee, The Associated Press
