At the margins of the UN General Assembly, a new American-led body placed a $2.45 billion blueprint for Gaza's recovery before the world — a gesture of intent that its own architects acknowledge covers barely three cents of every dollar the territory will ultimately need. The Board of Peace, born from a broader Trump framework for regional settlement, is navigating the distance between political announcement and physical reality: unexploded ordnance, hundreds of kilometres of tunnels, a fragile ceasefire, and a funding gap measured in the tens of billions. What unfolds in Gaza now is less a re
Trump's Board of Peace unveils $2.45bn Gaza reconstruction plan amid funding gaps
At least 1,381 Palestinians, including 300 children, have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since the ceasefire began in October.
The money on the table is a fraction of what will actually be needed.
Mark
So they're announcing $2.45 billion but admitting they need $71.4 billion total. That's a pretty big gap. What does the $2.45 billion actually cover?
Mimi
It's spread across 66 different programmes over six months—housing, power generation, waste removal. The immediate, urgent stuff. But you're right about the gap. They've only collected $280 million of the $18 billion that's been pledged.
Luke
Wait. So $18 billion was pledged but only $280 million has actually arrived? That's less than 2 percent. How much of that $2.45 billion is real money versus announced commitments?
Mimi
The source doesn't specify. It says the plan was announced, but it doesn't break down how much of that $2.45 billion is already committed versus still being sought.
Mark
And the ceasefire itself—is it actually holding?
Mimi
Technically yes, but it's described as "imperfect." Since it started in October, 1,381 Palestinians have been killed, including 300 children, according to Gaza's health ministry. The Israeli military reports five soldiers and one contractor killed.
Luke
So there's been significant violence even after the ceasefire began. That's important context. And Netanyahu rejected the disarmament plan Hamas agreed to?
Mimi
Right. Hamas said it would lay down weapons if Israel ended aggression and withdrew. Netanyahu said no—the military stays until Hamas is "genuinely" disarmed. That's a fundamental disagreement that's still unresolved.
Mark
What about the actual reconstruction work? What comes first?
Mimi
Removing unexploded ordnance and destroying hundreds of kilometres of tunnels underneath Gaza. Only after that can rebuilding actually begin.
Luke
And who's responsible for that work? Who's going to be on the ground doing it, and how do you keep them safe in what's still described as a war zone?
Mimi
The source mentions security for those operating in Gaza as one of the "significant challenges" the plan faces, but it doesn't say who would do the work or how that security would actually be provided.
Mark
So we have a plan, but the money isn't there, the ceasefire is fragile, and the basic operational questions are still open.
Mimi
That's fair. Kushner called it a day to show "we're really fully committed," but the gaps are real.
Le Pouls
- A $2.45bn plan sounds substantial until measured against the $71.4bn experts say Gaza actually needs — and the sobering fact that only $280m of $18bn already pledged has ever arrived.
- Jared Kushner acknowledged 'different delays on different things' while Steve Witkoff insisted the past year represented 'real progress,' revealing a tension between diplomatic optimism and operational reality.
- Before a single home can be rebuilt, teams must clear unexploded ordnance across the entire territory and demolish hundreds of kilometres of tunnels — a precondition that could take years and requires its own security umbrella.
- The ceasefire framing the entire effort has already cost at least 1,381 Palestinian lives, including 300 children, since October, with a senior board official warning that its collapse would mark 'a point of no return' for the region.
- Hamas has signalled conditional acceptance of disarmament, but Netanyahu's rejection of any Israeli military withdrawal has left the political foundation of reconstruction without agreed ground to stand on.
At the margins of the UN General Assembly, a new American-led body placed a $2.45 billion blueprint for Gaza's recovery before the world — a gesture of intent that its own architects acknowledge covers barely three cents of every dollar the territory will ultimately need. The Board of Peace, born from a broader Trump framework for regional settlement, is navigating the distance between political announcement and physical reality: unexploded ordnance, hundreds of kilometres of tunnels, a fragile ceasefire, and a funding gap measured in the tens of billions. What unfolds in Gaza now is less a reconstruction story than a test of whether the architecture of diplomacy can bear the weight of a devastated place and its people.
During this week's UN General Assembly in New York, Donald Trump's Board of Peace unveiled a $2.45 billion, six-month spending plan for Gaza, spread across 66 programmes targeting housing, power generation, and waste removal. The announcement carried its own caveat: the board's own estimates place the full cost of Gaza's recovery at $71.4 billion over ten years, and of the $18 billion already pledged by international donors, only $280 million has actually been delivered.
Jared Kushner, a board member and Trump's son-in-law, acknowledged the initiative had faced unexplained delays, while US envoy Steve Witkoff pointed to returned hostages and an existing ceasefire — 'imperfect as it may be' — as markers of genuine progress. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said additional donor countries were being sought.
The physical obstacles are formidable. Israeli-American board member Michael Eisenberg described the immediate priorities: clearing unexploded ordnance from across Gaza and destroying hundreds of kilometres of underground tunnels. Only once that work is done, he said, can actual rebuilding begin. Layered on top are the challenges of establishing security for reconstruction workers, reforming Gaza's governance, and reaching consensus between Israeli and Palestinian officials — none of which has yet been achieved.
Meanwhile, the ceasefire that frames the entire effort remains precarious. Gaza's health ministry, whose figures the UN treats as reliable, reports at least 1,381 Palestinians killed — including 300 children — in Israeli military operations since October. A senior board official warned in August that a ceasefire collapse would be 'a point of no return.' Hamas has conditionally accepted a disarmament framework, but Netanyahu has rejected any Israeli military withdrawal, leaving the political core of the reconstruction vision unresolved.
Donald Trump's Board of Peace announced a $2.45 billion reconstruction plan for Gaza during meetings at the UN General Assembly in New York this week, laying out a six-month spending roadmap across 66 separate programmes aimed at housing, power generation, and waste removal. The announcement came with a candid acknowledgment from the board itself: the money on the table represents only a fraction of what will actually be needed. Of the $18 billion pledged by donors, just $280 million has been delivered. The board's own estimates suggest Gaza's full recovery and reconstruction will require approximately $71.4 billion over the next decade.
Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and a member of the Gaza Executive Board, told the assembled stakeholders and board members that the initiative had encountered "different delays on different things, for whatever reason." He framed the day's announcement as evidence of sustained commitment to the project. Steve Witkoff, the US envoy, characterized the past year as one of "real progress," pointing to the return of hostages, the existence of a ceasefire—"imperfect as it may be"—and what he called historically significant humanitarian achievements. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that several countries had pledged financial support and said the board was actively seeking additional donors.
The practical obstacles ahead are substantial and concrete. Michael Eisenberg, an Israeli-American board member, outlined the immediate work: removing unexploded ordnance scattered across the territory and destroying hundreds of kilometres of tunnels that run beneath Gaza. Only after that work is complete, he explained, can Gazans begin the actual rebuilding of homes, sanitation systems, and other infrastructure. The plan also faces the challenge of establishing security for those doing the work, overhauling Gaza's internal governance structures, and achieving consensus between Israeli and Palestinian officials—a task that has proven elusive.
The fragility of the ceasefire itself remains a central concern. At least 1,381 Palestinians, including 300 children, have been killed in Israeli military operations in Gaza since the ceasefire began in October, according to figures from Gaza's health ministry that the UN considers reliable. The Israeli military reports five soldiers killed in combat and one contractor killed in an operational accident during the same period. In August, Nickolay Mladenov, a senior Board of Peace official, warned that a collapse of the ceasefire would represent "a point of no return" for the region, and he criticized both Israel's continuing air strikes and the actions of Hamas.
The Board of Peace itself emerged from Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan, unveiled alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in September of last year. The framework included Hamas's agreement to return 48 remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and Gaza detainees, and Hamas's acceptance of a plan to hand Gaza's governance to Palestinian technocrats. In July, Hamas said it had accepted a disarmament plan requiring it to lay down its weapons, provided Israel ended "all forms of aggression" and withdrew its forces. Netanyahu rejected that proposal, stating the military would remain in Gaza until Hamas was "genuinely" disarmed. What began as an organization focused specifically on Gaza peace has since expanded to address conflicts worldwide, though Gaza remains its most immediate and visible test.
Citations marquantes
The goal of today was really just to show you that we're really fully committed to doing it.— Jared Kushner, Gaza Executive Board member
All of the hostages are home. There is a ceasefire, imperfect as it may be, but it still exists.— Steve Witkoff, US envoy
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