Now that the guns are silent, minds turn to reconstruction

It is high time to break Gaza’s endless cycle of destruction and reconstruction.

The May 20 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, reached after a concerted effort by Egypt, Qatar and the US, provided a much-needed reprieve for the people of Gaza after 11 days of bloodshed and destruction. As Palestinians displaced by Israeli bombardment started returning to their homes and the scale of the damage inflicted on Gaza’s infrastructure became clear, the focus once again shifted to “rebuilding” the enclave, which has been under a land, air and sea blockade since 2007. On May 18, two days before the ceasefire, the Egyptian presidency had already announced that it would give $500m to finance Gaza’s reconstruction following Israel’s latest round of aggression. On the face of it, Cairo’s pledge was a much welcome development – the Strip is undoubtedly in desperate need of any humanitarian and reconstruction assistance it can get from the international community. There are, however, reasons to be concerned about Egypt’s offer of help.