Gaza a year after the ceasefire: a $2.45 billion plan, but no start date

Almost a year after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect, the US-backed peace plan for Gaza is largely stuck. The hostages are home and the heaviest fighting has stopped, but reconstruction has not started and the question of Hamas’s weapons is unresolved.

The framework

The 20-point plan presented by US President Donald Trump on 29 September 2025 led to a ceasefire in October 2025. On 17 November 2025 the UN Security Council, in Resolution 2803, welcomed the newly created Board of Peace and authorised a temporary International Stabilization Force for Gaza. A roadmap published by the Board on 30 July 2026 makes each next phase conditional on verified compliance with the previous one, and foresees the handover of civilian administration to a transitional Palestinian committee.

The money

On 23 September, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the Board presented a six-month recovery plan worth $2.45 billion, spread over 66 programmes for housing, power generation, waste removal and other needs. The BBC reported that of $18 billion pledged, only $280 million had actually been paid. The Board estimates full recovery will cost about $71 billion over a decade. It did not set a start date.

“The goal of today was really just to show you that we’re really fully committed to doing it,” said Jared Kushner, a member of the Gaza Executive Board. US envoy Steve Witkoff pointed to what has been achieved: “All of the hostages are home. There is a ceasefire, imperfect as it may be, but it still exists.”

The sticking point

According to the BBC, Hamas has said it will give up its weapons in exchange for a phased Israeli withdrawal from the roughly 60% of Gaza that Israel currently holds. Israel insists that Hamas must fully disarm before any pullout. Meanwhile violence continues: the BBC reports near-daily Israeli strikes, which Israel describes as action against threats and ceasefire violations.

Daily life

The UN humanitarian office OCHA reported in September that 91% of assessed households in Gaza face moderate to high water insecurity, and that overcrowded shelters raise the risk of disease ahead of winter. On the Egypt aid route, 317 of 800 manifested trucks were offloaded in the week to 29 September, according to the UN-led Logistics Cluster, which cited new handling procedures.

The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 74,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 2023. Its figures do not distinguish between combatants and civilians and cannot be independently verified.

Waiting for Israel’s vote

Palestinian analysts quoted by The New Arab expect no real progress before Israel’s election on 27 October. Who governs Israel will shape how — and whether — the next phase of the plan begins.

GOD News follows these developments in its dossier “Gaza after the ceasefire”.