DAVOS, Switzerland — Israel's economy minister said on Wednesday (Jan 22) it seeks a peaceful Gaza but has not decided whether to help fund its reconstruction and would not allow the rebuilding of Hamas rule that he said could lead to another cross-border militant attack.
A Palestinian pushes belongings past the rubble of buildings and houses destroyed during the Israeli offensive, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, Jan 22, 2025.DAVOS, Switzerland — Israel's economy minister said on Wednesday it seeks a peaceful Gaza but has not decided whether to help fund its reconstruction and would not allow the rebuilding of Hamas rule that he said could lead to another cross-border militant attack.
"The key question is if...they want to build a Dubai or rebuild Gaza the way it was," Barkat said, referring to the United Arab Emirates city, a global hub of commerce, and to Gaza under Palestinian Islamist militant rule since 2007. More than 46,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to Palestinian health officials. Much of the heavily built-up enclave has been flattened and most of its 2.3 million people displaced multiple times, humanitarian agencies say.
But since the ceasefire took hold, Gaza's Hamas-run administration has resurfaced and acted quickly to reimpose security and start restoring basic services, underlining that it remains in charge of public affairs. This new momentum would also be felt across the Middle East, he said, increasing the chances of establishing bilateral relations between Israel and further Arab nations, a process known as the Abraham Accords.
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