The Board of Peace – a body tasked with Gaza’s reconstruction – is facing scrutiny over a reported funding crisis that could stall postwar plans for the war-torn Strip.
While a Reuters report highlighted a massive shortfall in the delivery of international pledges, the Board denied any claims of financial instability, stressing that all funding requests have been met “immediately and in full.”
Financial Squeeze
During the Board of Peace’s inaugural meeting on February 19, several countries pledged money for the reconstruction of Gaza. The US committed $10 billion, while other countries including Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Qatar, and the UAE pledged $7 billion collectively.
Moreover, the UN said it would contribute $2 billion for humanitarian assistance and FIFA $75 million soccer-related projects in Gaza.
However, the Board is facing a significant gap in international funding, receiving a small amount of the $17 billion pledged for the enclave’s postwar plans, sources told Reuters.
One of the sources said that only the US, the UAE and Morocco had contributed funding, with the Board collecting under $1 billion. The source attributed this shortage to the Iran war, which “has affected everything,” he said.
Palestinian Committee Affected
The impact of the financial crisis has extended to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) – a Palestinian technocratic committee chaired by Ali Shaath. Its task focuses on running Gaza’s ministries and police force after the war.
The source said that the NCAG remains unable to enter the Strip, citing a lack of financial resources and security issues. A Palestinian official familiar with the situation further noted that the Board has already notified Hamas and other local factions that the committee’s deployment is currently impossible due to the current financial squeeze.
“No money is currently available,” the official cited Board Higher Representative for Gaza Nickolay Mladenov as informing Palestinian groups.
Board of Peace Response
Commenting on Reuters report, the Board of Peace denied claims of having a funding crisis. In a statement on X, the Board dismissed the report as “fundamentally incorrect and misleading.”
“The Board of Peace is a lean, execution-focused organization that calls capital as needed. There are no funding constraints. To date, all funding requests have been met immediately and in full,” it said.
“What is needed now is a firm and complete commitment to full implementation of the Peace Plan, including the decommissioning of weapons and military infrastructure by Gaza’s armed groups. This will enable reconstruction at scale, a phased IDF withdrawal, and full implementation of the Peace Plan and UNSCR 2803,” it added.
Gaza Ceasefire Agreement
In October 2025, a ceasefire agreement brokered by the US, Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye ended two years of fighting between Hamas and Israel in Gaza. The agreement consists of three phases based on a 20-point peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump.
Under the plan, the NCAG will “oversee the restoration of core public services, the rebuilding of civil institutions, and the stabilization of daily life in Gaza, while laying the foundation for long-term, self-sustaining governance.”
The plan also includes an International Stabilization Force (ISF), led by Major General Jasper Jeffers. The force will be responsible for security operations, supporting comprehensive demilitarization of the Strip, and enabling the safe delivery of humanitarian aid and reconstruction materials.
Since the ceasefire took effect, Israel has killed 738 people and wounded over 2,000 in Gaza. This brings the total death toll of the war to more than 72,000, most of them civilians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The Israeli war on Gaza has also destroyed four-fifths of the Strip’s buildings, with reconstruction efforts estimated to cost $70 billion.
Cairo Talks
A delegation from Hamas will hold meetings with mediators in Cairo on Saturday to discuss disarmament, a source in the Palestinian group told Reuters.
Egypt has hosted a series of meetings to break the disarmament deadlock. The second phase of the peace plan calls for the disarmament of Hamas and the comprehensive demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.
However, this remains a sticking point as the Palestinian movement has repeatedly rejected laying down its weapons before complete Israeli withdrawal, while Israeli military officials have said they are preparing for a swift return to full-scale war if Hamas does not disarm.
