In theory, Gaza is on the road to recovery. Donald Trump’s “peace committee” has appointed a group of Palestinian technocrats—the National Committee for the Governance of Gaza (NCG)—to run the Strip in place of Hamas. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, that global gathering of powerbrokers, Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, presented a slick map for rebuilding the Strip, complete with a glittering waterfront promenade. Israel has returned all hostages, dead and alive, paving the way for the second phase of the peace plan: reconstruction. And on February 2, the Rafah crossing with Egypt, which had been largely closed since May 2024, reopened.
The reality is much bleaker. Since the ceasefire, Israeli airstrikes have killed about 500 Palestinians in Gaza. More food is entering the Strip, but many staples, such as tomatoes, remain a luxury. More than a million people still live in rubble or tents. Few have electricity. Severe respiratory infections are skyrocketing. Israel has ordered Doctors Without Borders and other aid agencies to leave Gaza because they refused to provide lists of their staff without guarantees that they would not be targeted (Israel has previously claimed that staff from the UN agency for Palestine refugees participated in the October 7 massacres).
The Rafah crossing was originally scheduled to open shortly after the ceasefire in October. On the day it did open, Israel allowed only five patients and seven family members to leave (some 20.000 Gazans urgently need medical treatment abroad). Of the 50 people registered to return to Gaza that day, only three women and nine children were allowed to enter. They said the crossing took more than 15 hours and they faced European Union surveillance, Palestinian militias affiliated with Israel, and Israeli thugs who blindfolded, handcuffed, and interrogated them.
As part of the ceasefire, Hamas agreed to hand over power to the NKUG. Israel, however, has not yet allowed the committee to even enter Gaza. It has no funds or a bank account. Its members are waiting in a hotel in Cairo. An attempt to provide at least a semblance of legitimacy by introducing a logo, based on the Palestinian Authority (PA) emblem, was quickly withdrawn after Israeli objections. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, insists that all money for the group goes through him.
American and Israeli companies seeking lucrative contracts are eyeing the United Arab Emirates as a potential financier for the reconstruction. However, on February 2, the Emirates denied any such plans. Steve Witkoff, Trump's envoy, continues to travel to Jerusalem, trying to persuade Israel not to undermine his boss's vision for Gaza.
And so the vicious circle continues. Nothing substantial can happen in Gaza until Hamas lays down its arms, Israel says. It will not withdraw its forces from the Strip until an international stabilization force disarms Hamas and demilitarizes Gaza. But that force has not appeared. In the meantime, Hamas may be reconsidering its disarmament pledge. It points to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, which Israel has deprived of its customs revenues and brought to the brink of collapse, despite close security cooperation with Israel. On February 3, a gunman from Gaza opened fire on an Israeli patrol, wounding an officer. Israel responded with airstrikes, killing 20 people and briefly closing the Rafah crossing again.
prepared by: S. STRUGAR
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