BoP to announce six-month, $2.45 billion Gaza recovery, reconstruction project - report

The Gaza Board of Peace is expected to unveil a six-month, $2.45 billion recovery and reconstruction plan during an upcoming meeting of its members, according to a Wednesday Axios report.According to Axios, the proposed 66-project plan outlines what the first months of post-war governance and reconstruction would look like for the Gaza Strip.For the plan to proceed, however, Hamas needs to cooperate with ceasefire and disarmament requirements.The estimated cost of the reconstruction reportedly includes budgeting for temporary housing, rubble removal, hospital repairs, and the deployment of the International Stabilization Force (ISF).The outline reportedly took a year to formulate through cooperation between dozens of BoP personnel and the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG)."The plan shows how to stand up a government from nothing, an economy from shambles and a territory from disaster," a Board of Peace official told Axios.The plan's 66 projects will be divided between six main areas consisting of infrastructure development, human development, economic acceleration, digital transformation, legal affairs, and peace and security, according to Axios, Around $1 billion to be used for Gaza infrastructure repairsInfrastructure development is set to account for around $1 billion of the budget, with an estimated $400 million set aside for building temporary shelters and $50 million for hospital repairs.Another $275 million will be used to clear rubble and unexploded ordnance from Gaza, and $30 million will be put towards repairing road networks.Hamas weapon buy-back program to be included in security projectsAccording to Axios, roughly $885 million will be allocated for security projects, including a $20 million weapons buy-back program aimed at incentivizing Hamas and other terrorist groups to surrender their arms. A significant portion of the security area budget, $415 billion, will go towards supporting the ISF and building a permanent site capable of supporting 5,000 personnel in Rafah. Of that, $140 million will fund recruiting, training, and deploying ISF troops. Another $120 million would be utilized to mobilize a Palestinian police force made up of Palestinians who have been selected and vetted for the role.Axios noted that a key challenge for the execution of the plan is funding. As of Wednesday, the BoP and NCAG have not yet secured the $2.45 billion needed for the six-month plan.The full reconstruction, however, is expected to cost around $71.4 billion over the next decade.