There can be no future arrangements on Gaza and its people until Israel stops its attacks, lifts its blockade and guarantees people's right to self-determination, Hamas said after the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace on Thursday.
The group also pointed to Israel's continued breaches of the October ceasefire that have so far killed at least 600 people. Hamas called on the international community, mediators and members of the Board of Peace to compel Israel to "stop its attacks, allow aid into Gaza and immediately begin reconstruction".
"Any genuine international effort to achieve stability in Gaza must be based on addressing the root cause of the problem, which is the occupation, and ending its policies," the group said in a statement.
Several countries have raised more than $17 billion in relief funds for Gaza, delegates at the Board of Peace meeting heard. A video played at the event said construction would initially focus on the southern city of Rafah, with a goal of having it fully rebuilt in three years.
The video said that in 10 years, Gaza will be self-governed and integrated into the region with “thriving industries and housing for all”. It did not address what would happen to Palestinians in the interim.
Nine out of 10 people in Gaza have been displaced more than once. Israel has injured and killed hundreds of thousands of people since the war began on October 7, 2023, officials at the enclave's Health Ministry said.
But a report in The Lancet has estimated the true death toll to be significantly higher as a direct and indirect result of Israel's attacks, which have destroyed hospitals and homes, as well as 80 per cent of Gaza's infrastructure and basic services.
A UN Security Council resolution endorsed the creation of the board as part of US President Donald Trump's 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, which both sides agreed to.
But Israel has so far failed to abide by the agreement, which says the Rafah border crossing must be reopened and all hostilities must end. Israel has continuously accused Hamas of breaching the ceasefire.
Sources told The National that Israel has repeatedly referred to breaches by Hamas as the reason for refusing to allow Palestinians in and out of Gaza.
Last week, Israel said Hamas would be given a 60-day deadline to disarm or Israeli troops will "complete the mission". Israeli Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs, an adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said the clock could start ticking after the first meeting of the Board of Peace.
Although the terms of the first phase of the peace plan were not fully adhered to, US special envoy Steve Witkoff in January announced the start of the second stage. That should see Hamas disarmed, a further withdrawal of Israeli forces, the entry into Gaza of a UN-sanctioned technocratic Palestinian committee to run the enclave's day-to-day affairs and the arrival of an international stabilisation force to maintain security. Israel has so far denied the committee entry into Gaza.
On Thursday, five countries said they were contributing tens of thousands of troops to the stabilisation force. With Hamas's recent statement, it is unclear whether it will refuse to co-operate with the plan until Israel fully ceases hostilities.
