In Devastated Gaza, Grandiose Peace Plans Clash With Reality

President Trump’s inaugural gathering of a “Board of Peace” in Washington has produced detailed plans for a gleaming postwar Gaza, but the territory remains devastated. Health officials in Gaza say Israeli strikes have killed about 600 people since a cease-fire began, many displaced Palestinians still live in tents, and an estimated 60 million tons of war debris must be cleared.

Member states have pledged more than $5 billion for humanitarian and reconstruction work, while the United Nations estimates rebuilding will cost more than $50 billion. Countries have also committed thousands of troops and personnel for an International Stabilization Force, and American officials are discussing building a military base in an Israeli-controlled area of southern Gaza.

On the ground, Israeli forces control roughly half the coastal territory and are removing unexploded ordnance and rubble; anti-Hamas militias have taken up arms and looted aid in those areas.

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