U.S. Looks to Rebuild Gaza, but Aid Could Hinge on Hamas’s Rocket Arsenal

The effort could cost billions of dollars, and U.S. officials predicted it would be welcomed by Hamas. But would it moderate the militant group’s actions toward Israel?

WASHINGTON — With a cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian militants underway, the Biden administration is now turning to how it can help rebuild the besieged Gaza Strip — and in turn bring pressure, through promises of financial support, on Hamas not to resume fighting. President Biden had urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to accept a cease-fire, but it did not take effect until the violence had forced more than 72,000 Palestinians from their homes in Gaza, pockets of which are now just piles of rubble where tall buildings once stood. “I believe the Palestinians and Israelis equally deserve to live safely and securely,” Mr. Biden said on Thursday during brief remarks delivered at the White House, “and to enjoy equal measures of freedom, prosperity and democracy.”