RAMALLAH, October 28, 2025 (WAFA) – The Ministry of Public Works and Housing presented its early recovery and reconstruction plan for the Gaza Strip during a meeting of the Government Operations Room. The session was chaired by Dr. Samah Hamad and attended by Minister of Public Works and Housing Ahed Bseiso, Jordanian Ambassador to Palestine Issam Bdour, Egyptian Ambassador Ihab Suleiman, as well as representatives from UN agencies, international organizations, donor entities, and the private sector.
Hamad highlighted that the Operations Room coordinates emergency response efforts during the relief and early recovery phases, ensuring complementarity among national ministries and institutions, UN agencies, and international organizations, while aligning available resources with national priorities. She noted that the plans presented are based on the Gaza Recovery and Reconstruction Implementation Program (GRRIP) under the Arab Plan for Gaza’s Recovery and Reconstruction.
Meanwhile, Minister Bseiso outlined the Ministry’s efforts in cooperation with international and UN institutions, emphasizing the importance of unified action under the Government’s framework. He underscored that the Israeli aggression has left behind more than 60 million tons of debris, while the ongoing control of Gaza’s border crossings by the Israeli occupation continues to hinder the entry of essential materials and heavy machinery required for debris removal, compounded by the challenges posed by the unexploded ordnance and the recovery of slain people’s remains.
Ruqayya Abu al-Rob, Head of the Gaza Reconstruction Team at the Ministry, presented a comprehensive overview of the plan, which is based on an integrated spatial vision aligned with the national spatial plan approved by the Palestinian Government. Drawing on both the Government’s Recovery and Reconstruction Plan and the Arab-Egyptian Plan, the Ministry's plan focuses on five key pillars: damage assessment, debris management, housing, roads, and public buildings.
The Ministry also presented its temporary shelter strategy, which includes the rehabilitation of partially damaged housing units, strengthening community networks, and establishing 294 temporary shelter sites near near the original residences of displaced Palestinians, equipped with water and sanitation services.
The plan also details the Ministry’s role in rehabilitating intercity roads and providing temporary government buildings during the early recovery phase, laying the foundation for full reconstruction and sustainable development in the subsequent phase.
The Ministry’s plan is structured into three phases:
▪︎ Early Recovery Phase: six months
▪︎ Recovery Phase: 24 months
▪︎ Development Phase: 30 months
The plan has been translated into six programs and 21 projects, with a total estimated value of USD 21 billion.
K.T
