Peace Council Outlines Post-War Gaza Reconstruction Plans
Istanbul (ANTARA) - Senior officials on Thursday outlined a governance, security, and post-war reconstruction framework for Gaza at the Trump-backed Peace Council, including plans for institutional rebuilding and the establishment of a new Palestinian police force.
Nickolay Mladenov, director-general of the Peace Council, announced the formation of a new administrative mechanism intended to support Gaza’s future civilian leadership.
“We are very pleased to announce that we are establishing the Office of the High Representative for Gaza, from the Peace Council, which will exist to support, guide, and assist the National Committee for the administration of Gaza, hopefully removing the obstacles they will face in assuming civilian and administrative control of the Gaza Strip,” he said.
Mladenov said the office would operate under the oversight of the council and its executive body, coordinating with Israeli and Palestinian institutions, as well as international stabilisation forces.
He also revealed that recruitment for a transitional Palestinian police force had begun.
“In just the first few hours, we received 2,000 applications from people wishing to join the new transitional Palestinian police force to be established in Gaza under the authority of the National Committee, with the support of the Peace Council, trained in Egypt,” he said.
According to Mladenov, the force would be central to restoring order during the transitional phase.
“It is the Palestinian security forces under the authority of the National Committee for the transitional period that will enable us to ensure that all factions in Gaza are dissolved and all weapons are under the control of a single civilian authority,” he said.
He expressed gratitude to Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey for their support of mediation efforts and emphasised that reconstruction depended on disarmament.
“There is no alternative other than full demilitarisation and the disarming of all weapons in Gaza so that reconstruction can begin and people can have a new way of life going forward,” he said.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair also addressed the meeting, describing Gaza’s governance record as deeply problematic and calling for sweeping reforms.
“For decades, governance in Gaza has been characterised by extremism, corruption, ineffective institutions, and the absence of a path to prosperity for the people of Gaza,” he said.
Blair outlined a vision for Gaza based on functioning public institutions, economic opportunities, and technological development, adding that it was a vision of Gaza as part of a peaceful Middle East.
“A genuine commitment to a region where, whether you are Muslim, Jewish, Christian, or of any faith or none, you can rise on your own efforts, and feel that the government is on your side, not behind you,” he said.
He said the framework proposed by US President Donald Trump “remains the best hope, indeed the only hope, for Gaza, the region, and the wider world.”