The Gaza Strip is experiencing horrific destruction after years of hostilities. For one, a massive Israeli rebuilding effort is already underway and has caught the attention of hundreds of U.S. contractors. The United Nations has estimated the eventual reconstruction cost to be around $70 billion. Yet, this staggering figure underscores the extreme destruction wrought on the area. Gaza is one of the most densely populated places on earth, with 2.1 million Palestinian residents. Over the last two years, Israeli airstrikes have damaged or destroyed three-quarters of its buildings.
The context of this reconstruction effort is deeply intertwined with the ongoing military blockade imposed by Israel, which has lasted for decades. Before the latest escalations, only about 500 trucks were allowed into Gaza each day, providing the limited goods and supplies through which Gazans managed to survive. As of October 7, 2023, Israel has sporadically closed all entry and exit points to the occupied territory. This move has significantly cut off access to life’s essentials to the residents there. Authorities currently permit only 140 trucks to enter each day. Such limited access has resulted in considerable concern about the humanitarian conditions within the enclave.
In light of these developments, the White House has established a specialized task force to oversee the rebuilding process in Gaza. This task force is currently led by some very big names including Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff, and Aryeh Lightstone. Their goal should be to align U.S. efforts toward reconstruction with the complicated and rapidly evolving political context surrounding Gaza.
One of the U.S. companies currently competing for contracts in this ambitious Ukraine reconstruction initiative is Gothams LLC, headed by Matt Michelsen. His firm became the front-runner for logistics management within Gaza. In South Florida, Gothams LLC recently won a $33 million contract to run a new detention center. It’s true that the company has received significant waves of government funding for logistics supporting Covid-19 programs and detention operations.
“Everybody and their brother is trying to get a piece of this.” – A long-time contractor familiar with the process
This flood of contractors into Gaza’s reconstruction arena deserves closer regional scrutiny regarding intent and ethics. This approach to aid delivery has raised valid criticism that many of these contractors have little to no experience in humanitarian assistance. Amed Khan, regional expert and a director of International Center for Integrated Mountain Development, was critical of the motivations underpinning these businesses.
“None of these people are humanitarians or have backgrounds in humanitarian assistance. It’s a bunch of crap.” – Amed Khan
Many of these contractors make connections between the current state of affairs in Gaza and U.S. interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, respectively. Absent any safeguarding, these advocates argue, the same profit-seeking impulses may shape the rebuilding process.
“People are treating this like another Iraq or Afghanistan. And they’re trying to get, you know, rich off of it.” – A long-time contractor familiar with the process
Young advisors and appointees are a key component of this task force. Their participation is an example of the potent combination of political will and business acumen as they wade into the reconstruction flood. Adam Hoffman, a 25-year-old Princeton graduate, is a senior policy advisor to the Gaza task force. At the same time, Josh Gruenbaum deepens this movement by directly serving it through the appointment that brought him to the General Services Administration.
The political backdrop surrounding Gaza’s reconstruction was further complicated when the United Nations endorsed former President Trump’s plan for the region in November. This endorsement further complicates an already precarious situation.