What role will Palestinian technocrats play in Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction?
DUBAI: US President Donald Trump convened the first meeting of his Board of Peace in Washington on Feb. 19, bringing together about two dozen allied leaders and diplomats to discuss postwar governance of Palestine’s Gaza Strip.
Among those in attendance was Ali Shaath, a former undersecretary in the Palestinian Authority widely regarded as a nonpartisan figure. In January, he was appointed to lead the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, a 15-member body of technocrats expected to serve as the board’s governing partner on the ground.
As the vision takes shape, the scale of reconstruction presents a daunting challenge. A joint rapid damage assessment by the UN, European Union and World Bank estimates the cost of rebuilding Gaza and making it safe at approximately $70 billion.
A handout photograph released by Egypt’s State Information Service shows Ali Shaath (C), head of the new Palestinian technocratic committee for administering the Gaza Strip, with its members during the inaugural meeting of 'National Committee for the Administration of Gaza' in Cairo on January 18, 2026. (AFP)
