The former Palestinian government official chosen on Thursday to administer Gaza under a U.S.-backed deal has an ambitious plan, including pushing war debris into the Mediterranean Sea and rebuilding destroyed infrastructure within three years.
The appointment of Ali Shaath, the civil engineer and former deputy planning minister in the Palestinian Authority, marked the start of the next phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end Israel's genocidal war in Gaza.
Shaath will chair a group of 15 Palestinian technocrats tasked with governing the enclave that has been devastated by Israel's relentless military campaign.
Under Trump's plan, Israel has withdrawn from nearly half of Gaza, but its troops remain in control of the other half, a wasteland where nearly all buildings have been destroyed. Trump has floated the controversial idea of turning Gaza into the "Riviera of the Middle East."
Shaath will face the uncertain task of rebuilding the territory's shattered infrastructure and clearing an estimated 68 million tons of rubble and unexploded ordnance even as Israel continues its attacks.
