A foundational proposal for a collaborative council bringing together Palestinian actors, international donors, and civil society to manage Gaza's reconstruction with transparency and accountability — insulated from political division and ensuring genuine local ownership of the process.
Omar Shaban's proposal for a collaborative council to govern Gaza's reconstruction — Palestinian actors and donors in one framework, with independent audit and genuine…
Reconstruction experiences in post-conflict zones show that the absence of a multilateral governance framework leads to fragmented efforts and waste. This idea adapts successful models to the Palestinian context.
Gaza's reconstruction is estimated at more than $50 billion over ten years — a figure that necessitates a multilateral governance mechanism to ensure effectiveness.
Recommendations
Form a founding advisory council with representatives from Palestinian factions, civil society, international donors — appointed within 90 days of the cessation of hostilities.
Issue a founding charter defining the Council's mandate, decision-making process, and dispute-resolution procedures.
Establish an independent audit unit reporting publicly at least quarterly, with authority to suspend any project under suspected corruption.
Separate reconstruction funding from emergency humanitarian aid with a prohibition on transfers between the two without Council approval.
Adopt 'build back better' with integrated climate resilience requirements in every infrastructure project.
Link funding disbursements to measurable performance indicators including local employment ratios and construction quality.
Establish an open, publicly accessible information system tracking each project from funding to implementation.
Expected outcomes
Accelerated reconstruction by reducing donor-coordination delays by an estimated 40%
Enhanced public trust through visible and auditable accountability mechanisms
Targeting unemployment reduction from 80%+ to below 25% in 10 years
Establishing Palestinian ownership as a principle difficult to reverse in future negotiations