Media coverage
MAS Institute · 2025-02-10
The Palestinian Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS) held a workshop to present and discuss a study on strategies for rebuilding the Gaza Strip after the 2023/2024 war, prepared by Maseef Jamil, Farid al-Qeeq, and Omar Shaban, with specialists and experts participating in person and via Zoom. The study focused on the unprecedented scale of destruction, guiding principles for managing reconstruction, and recommended establishing a Higher Council for Reconstruction, creating an international reconstruction and building fund, and adopting a comprehensive, phased, and transparent plan drawing on previous Gaza experience and international cases. Participants and government representatives also stressed the importance of national and political consensus, securing funding and the entry of materials, and involving local government, the private sector, and Gaza society to ensure successful reconstruction.
The Palestinian Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS) held a workshop to present and discuss a study on strategies for rebuilding the Gaza Strip after the 2023/2024 war, prepared by Maseef Jamil, Farid al-Qeeq, and Omar Shaban, with specialists and experts participating in person and via Zoom. T…
Monday, 10 February 2025: A workshop was held today at the headquarters of the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS) to discuss and present a study on strategies for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip after the 2023/2024 war, with the participation of a group of specialists, experts, and interested parties, in person at the institute’s headquarters and via Zoom technology. The study was prepared by Musif Jamil, Farid al-Qeeq, and Omar Shaban.
In presenting the study, Musif, a researcher at the institute, stressed that the Gaza Strip was subjected to unprecedented destruction during this war, which led to the destruction of more than 70% of its buildings and caused severe damage to all elements of the infrastructure, in addition to tens of thousands of innocent civilian victims, the majority of them women and children, and the displacement of more than 1.9 million citizens from their homes. All the basic elements of life deteriorated, and the economic and social conditions of citizens declined.
The researcher explained that the need for this study emerged as a result of the conditions of the devastating war on the Gaza Strip, and that it is supposed to be of particular importance because it provides a general reference framework for managing reconstruction and deriving a model and mechanism capable of dealing with the massive scale of destruction and the complexities of the Palestinian reality, through developing strategies for the reconstruction of the Strip that take into account benefiting from experience in reconstructing Gaza after previous wars and also benefiting from international experiences in rebuilding cities destroyed by wars and natural disasters.
According to Musif, the study focused on identifying the guiding principles that post-war reconstruction processes must adhere to in order to achieve building back better than before, highlighting the importance of community participation in a way that ensures the maximum benefit for marginalized groups and the involvement of the Palestinian private sector, and focusing on managing reconstruction processes and how to form the administrative structure responsible for guidance, while clarifying the features of the enabling environment that can ensure the smoothness of reconstruction processes and reduce potential obstacles.
The study presents a number of recommendations on the optimal reconstruction model, especially with regard to the availability of economic resources, whether local or external, the non-continuation of internal conflicts, and the necessity of a political process and national consensus. The study also proposes strategies and mechanisms to overcome previous reconstruction challenges through the formation of a Higher Council for Reconstruction within the framework of the work of the National Committee for Disaster Risk Management, the establishment of an international fund to support reconstruction and building, and the adoption of a comprehensive phased methodological plan, in addition to managing reconstruction with transparency and high oversight to gain the confidence of supporters.
Researcher Musif also mentioned that there are a number of recommendations put forward by experts and specialists from Gaza who had accompanied the reconstruction experience in the past, which stress the need to give a role to local government bodies and to prioritize the restoration and repair of buildings that were partially damaged during the war, since their rehabilitation can be completed within a short period, in addition to focusing on developing special plans for the seafront, as it is now being used as shelter areas for the displaced.
The researcher stressed the necessity of the availability of financial and political support, enabling the use of local resources and the capacities of the Palestinian private sector, and not overlooking the legal responsibility of the party that caused the destruction (Israel).
In his intervention, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Dr. Wael Zaqout said that what happened in the Strip had never been witnessed in history in terms of killing and destruction and depriving the people of the most basic human rights. He stated that the government had prepared a number of plans for the reconstruction and recovery of the Gaza Strip, and mentioned that there are immediate six-month plans for shelter and relief, and other three-year plans through which 300,000 housing units will be built and rubble removed. He indicated that there is an emergency committee in a state of permanent and continuous session representing all parties, and explained that work is proceeding on three main tracks: the availability of national consensus on reconstruction, the availability of funds, and the entry of materials. He stated that if these three tracks are available, reconstruction will be completed within three years.
For his part, Dr. Salim Abu Dhaher, Assistant Undersecretary for Housing Affairs at the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, explained that what distinguishes the study is that it was prepared by people who lived in Gaza and under conditions they themselves experienced. He pointed to the necessity of the participation of NGOs, the private sector, and Gazan society, which is a fundamental partner in this process, and said this is in line with the government’s vision. Abu Dhaher called for the need to begin implementation and for these studies to be translated into implementation plans. He noted that a number of memoranda of understanding have begun to be implemented. Regarding damage assessment, he said that the ministry had estimated the damage based on aerial photographs and data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, and preparations are now under way for the actual commencement of verification of the level of this damage.
In turn, Hisham al-Deirawi, an expert in urban planning and former Director of the Regulation and Urban Planning Department at Deir al-Balah Municipality, spoke about the necessity of applying the principle of transparency, and that reconstruction must be carried out according to sustainable planning. He called for the preparation of a special study concerning the rubble in order to find creative solutions for it.
Meanwhile, those in attendance agreed on the study’s outputs and recommendations, especially with regard to coordinating reconstruction management and coordinating emergency aid and relief, and on the necessity of there being national and political consensus to ensure the success of the reconstruction process.
Text © MAS Institute — archived here with attribution to the source. — Machine translation for archival reference. — Original source