Hosni Nedim
18 June 2026•Update: 18 June 2026
The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) said Thursday it has finalized priorities for recovery and reconstruction and is ready to begin field operations “once conditions permit.”
The announcement came during a coordination meeting chaired by committee head Ali Shaath with representatives of the European Union, the United Nations and the World Bank to discuss the results of a rapid damage and needs assessment in the Gaza Strip.
According to a statement published by the committee on the US social media company X, Shaath said the committee had adopted the assessment as the “main reference” for preparing recovery and reconstruction plans and programs.
He added that the committee had completed sectoral priorities and implementation plans, enabling it to begin work immediately “once the necessary conditions are in place.”
Shaath said priorities had been identified in the health, housing, infrastructure, economy, agriculture, telecommunications and social protection sectors to ensure resources are directed toward the most urgent needs.
Representatives of the EU, UN and World Bank presented key findings of the assessment, including the scale of damage and losses in vital sectors and the requirements needed to restore basic services and support economic and social recovery in Gaza, the statement said.
Participants stressed that recovery and reconstruction efforts should be led by Palestinians, highlighting the committee’s role in coordinating national and international efforts and preparing a sustainable reconstruction process.
At the conclusion of the meeting, they reaffirmed their commitment to continuing technical cooperation and coordination with the committee in support of recovery, reconstruction and sustainable development efforts in Gaza.
The committee, a non-political body tasked with managing daily civil affairs in Gaza, began operating from Cairo in January but has yet to start work inside the Gaza Strip.
On Wednesday, Hamas said it held talks with mediators and representatives of the Board of Peace on completing the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement and moving to its second phase.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the talks had achieved “broad understandings” on several issues, including the entry of the committee and international forces into Gaza and the issue of Palestinian weapons.
*Writing by Sahin Demir in Istanbul.
