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NEW YORK (AP) -- The U.S.-backed Board of Peace is proposing a six-month, $2.45 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 in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday, 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 $35.2 billion over the medium term and an additional $71.4 billion over the next 10 years.
The proposal is largely aimed at potential donors who are being asked to foot the bill for reconstruction of the war-devastated territory that has seen numerous failed peace initiatives in the past. Those have included previous premature pronouncements of agreements between Hamas and Israel that have left would-be donors skeptical.
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% 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.