NEW YORK – President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace unveiled on Sept. 23 a six-month, $2.5 billion proposal to support the post-war recovery of Gaza.
The plan, announced at an event on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, would provide funding for education, economic development, hospital reconstruction and a police force.
The transitional process would be led by the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, a transitional body mandated by the United Nations Security Council.
“Today, we can point to real progress,” said U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff. “All of the hostages are home. There is a ceasefire, imperfect as it may be, but it still exists. Humanitarian efforts have achieved historic results,
with billions of dollars shared, donated and pledged to meet urgent needs and support the long work of recovery.”
The ambitious proposal, however, hinges on the support of Israel and Hamas. Peace negotiators have yet to reach an agreement for Israel to withdraw its troops from Gaza and for Hamas to disarm.
The effort to achieve a lasting peace in Gaza has also stalled amid next month’s Israeli elections, which will decide the country’s next government.
Officials at the Board of Peace meeting on Sept. 23 acknowledged that the upcoming Israeli elections have been a barrier to achieving progress in Gaza.
“Our discussions with Israel right now are not easy because of the elections there,” said Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace’s high representative for Gaza. “Everything is a little bit more emotional, a little bit more politically sensitive.”
Hours before the Board of Peace meeting, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza killed four people, according to Palestinian health officials. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said one of the strikes targeted a senior Hamas finance official.
“We will not allow Hamas to rebuild its strength, and we will not stop until there is no Hamas in Gaza,” Katz wrote in a post on social media.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio backed the Board of Peace's recovery plan for Gaza in remarks to reporters on Sept. 23.
"Ultimately the way this gets solved is a Gaza that's free of Hamas, governed by Palestinian leadership that is reflective of its people, is not Hamas, and that controls the security environment," he said.
Rubio also addressed rising violence in the West Bank amid a wave of attacks by Israeli civilians against Palestinians. On Sept. 23, the son of Israeli Ambassador the U.S. Yechiel Leiter – a reservist in the Israel Defense Forces – was seriously wounded in a ramming attack at a West Bank checkpoint.
"The last thing this region needs is an additional flashpoint and the last thing we think Israel needs is an additional flashpoint," he said. "The president really doesn't think the world right now needs a West Bank crisis."
Francesca Chambers contributed reporting.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump's Board of Peace touts $2.45B recovery plan for Gaza
